The Captive Bride
by cyancat
Summary: Rin never thought that her past actions would come back to bite her, literally. When Sesshomaru, the new company head finds out about it, she has no choice but to agree to his terms. COMPLETED! MAY 28, 2006 Epilogue coming soon.
1. Shocked Words

**Disclaimer:** I do hearby acknowledge to all that stuff you have heard before and that you don't need to hear again since we all know it by heart. Takahashi-sama is the only one who can do that.

This is an AU fic based off the plot of an old romance novel of my mom's.

**Cyancat** (/)

**The Captive Bride**

**Chapter One** - Shocked Words

"Is something wrong, Rin?" Mr. Tosai Hashi looked at her anxiously through the tinted lenses of his glasses.

"No." Rin Nagawa shook her head in quick denial even though her world was spinning dizzily. If she hadn't been sitting down when he'd made his announcement, her legs wouldn't have supported her. As it was, her pale complexion had grown paler by the second. "It's just... such a surprise. You never mentioned that you were considering selling the company. You didn't even as hint that..." Her voice trailed off, she was worried that her horrified astonishment might make him suspicious.

"I used the wrong word. It's actually being classified as a merger. It isn't even official yet and won't be until the final papers are signed." Mr. Hashi explained, "Naturally Sadamoto wants it all silent until that time. You know how the stock speculators would leap on any news related to Taisho Twin Swords Corporate."

"When...when will that be?" Rin tried to get a grip on herself and respond with her usual calm efficiency.

"When will what be?" The short, thin man frowned absently at the question, his keenly intelligent mind having already dismissed any subject that was clear to him. A lanky hand ran over his balding head, pondering Rin's question.

"When will the final papers be signed? How soon before Taisho takes over?" In her mind she was wondering how long she had.

"The contract agreement is being finalized now by the attorneys. All the terms have been agreed on, so it's only a matter of taking care of a few minor details. I imagine it will be within the next month." Mr. Hashi shrugged, as if the exact date was unimportant.

Within the month. The phrase crashed through her mind with the force of a deathblow. Rin felt sick to her stomach, a nauseous pain hammering through her head. She glanced at the account sheets and ledger books on her desk, avoiding eye contact with her boss so he wouldn't see the stricken look of frantic desperation in her hazel eyes.

"I wish you had mentioned it to me before." Her weak response barely above a whisper.

"Sadamoto asked me to wait until we had ironed out the terms. He didn't want a lot of premature rumors flying around, and I agreed. Now that the merger is certain, I explained to him that I had to inform my key employees, like yourself. After all, we are going to have a final audit of the books to close out Sagawa Affiliates as a separate entity and begin the change-over in reporting." He made it all sound so unimportant of course, which to him it was.

"Will this... Mr. Sadamoto be doing the final audit?" Rin asked, swallowing the sickening rush of fear.

"Good god, girl, NO!" Mr. Hashi laughed in his amusement. "Sesshomaru Sadamoto is the president of Taisho Twin Swords Corporate. He's the son of the founder, Taisho Sadamoto! I've heard of another son, but I don't think he's part of the business anyway. No, the final audit will be done by you, the same way it always has. Naturally someone from his accounting staff will assist you in transferring everything to their system and aid you in the audit."

"I see." Rin murmured, killing the foolish hope that her secret might remain hidden.

Her less than enthusiastic response to this announcement nagged at Tosai Hashi. She was never this depressed about good news such as this. "Something is bothering you, Miss Nagawa. What is it?"

"I am ... concerned about this merger." Rin admitted, removing the pencil from the sleek raven strands of hair near her ear. Her fingers fidgeted with it as she tried to find the precise words to explain her situation. "You know how ill my mother is... and..."

"Ah, I see. You are worried that this will affect your position, aren't you? You needn't be, Miss Nagawa. Sadamoto has assured me there will be no drastic changes. Part of the agreement was that you kept your position in the company. You have no fear that you will be fired, my dear. I have fully stressed how conscientious you have been in your work, and made them aware of your flawless work record. Sadamoto indicated to me that there would be no change in your salary or your position. If anything, your benefits will be increased, since you will be working for a large corporation."

His praise wasn't very reassuring because he didn't have all the facts. "That's very kind of you, Mr. Hashi." Rin began, but got no farther.

"Kind?" He scoffed at her words. "It's the least I could do after all the invaluable support you have given me. You don't realize what a very vital part you play in this company. I don't know how I would have coped after my brother died if you hadn't shouldered the responsibility of this department."

"Thank you, but I-"

He interrupted her with a heavy sigh. "We both know, Miss Nagawa, that my brother was the businessman, not me. I haven't a skilled bone in my body when it comes to managing a company. I can barely organize myself, let alone a half dozen departments and their staff. I knew it when Myoga died, but after a year and a half of supposedly being in charge, I'm convinced that the company is only suffering under my leadership."

"Every employee has enormous respect for you." Rin insisted, because it was the truth. "You are a genius!"

"In my field," he corrected. "In my field I am a genius and my field is not management. I belong in the backroom, tinkering with my designs and making new ideas. As soon as Sadamoto signs the papers, that's where I'll be. He admitted that the only reason they're buying the company is for the designs. Naturally, it will be another expansion for them, but my designs were the key." Tosai Hashi declared without false intentions.

Rin moistened her lips nervously. With each second that passed, it was becoming more and more difficult to tell him her situation. "I believe you sir." Rin let out, needing to say something in the silence. The buzz of the intercom interrupted her. She answered it and glanced at her employer. "It's your secretary, you have a long distance call."

He grimaced and sighed, "I'll be glad when somebody takes over for me. Tell her I'll be right there." With long harried strides, he left her office while Rin placed the phone down.

Her hand quickly spread protectively over a ledger book. She had known for a year that Tosai Hashi disliked running the company, but as head of the accounting department, Rin had always expected that she would be consulted if he ever contemplated selling the firm. She never once suspected the company such as Taisho Twin Swords Corporate would approach him with a merger offer. Sagawa Affiliates was a lightweight firm in the field of innovative weapon designs. But she had overlooked one thing. How other companies would crave those designs, those innovative ideas and... their creator.

If Taisho Twin Swords Corporate was taking over in a month, Rin was positive some of their executive and staff would be taking an active part in the company before that. She had been so wrapped up in her own problems that she hadn't seen the warning signs. With more time, she could have taken steps to alter the situation. What chance did she have of doing it now? None. Maybe the discrepancy in the ledgers wouldn't be noticed. Or maybe if she explained what had happened to the new owner, he would understand. After all, there hadn't been any criminal intent involved.

Rin stared down at the book for a moment before wilting under her own pressure, laying her head upon her desk. No. There was no way in hell that they'd miss this huge of a loss. How could they not miss $55, 000 just missing from the accounts? It was her fault that she had even taken the money and soon she was going to have to pay for it, one way or another.

Rin quickly lifted her head and gathered up the black ledger book, carrying it to the fireproof cabinet to lock it securely inside. She had just closed the door and was turning the key when a pair of arms curved around her waist from behind and a mouth began nuzzling the slender length of her neck.

"Its almost quitting time, lover." a voice murmured. "Why don't you let me take you away from all this?"

Rin stiffened in the embrace, recognizing the voice, the insolent exploration of that mouth, and the masculine feel of the body pressed against hers. She pried apart the arms crossed in front of her and made her away from this unwanted body.

"It happens to be a full twenty minutes before quitting time, Kohaku." Rin walked to her desk in the small windowless office. "You may not have any work to do, but I do."

"So? Leave it." Kohaku Yoshida followed her to the desk, brazen by her rejection of his advance. "Hashi's busy. He won't be back. What's the difference if you leave early anyway? He's sold us out to be absorbed by a giant."

"Where did you hear that from?" Rin threw a glaring look at him, knowing he wanted information and she wasn't going to supply it.

"Hashi paid a visit to my department before he came here." Kohaku informed Rin with a mocking look. "So you aren't letting anything out of the bag, my secretive beauty."

Rin let the compliment go. Kohaku Yoshida was too free with them. His compelling complementing tongue was a vital part of his forceful charm. Because of that, his good looks, and his salesman's refusal to take no for an answer, he was very successful at his job... and with women.

"You don't look exactly overjoyed by the news." he observed.

"It doesn't change my position." Her long fingers began tapping out the number of a column of figures on the keys of the adding machine. She noticed Kohaku moving away from her desk and hoped he was leaving. She wasn't in any mood to deal with him anymore.

But leaving wasn't his intention. Instead he walked over to pull the plug to the adding machine from the wall socket. It instantly went dead. Rin pressed her lips into a thin line.

"Will you plug that back in? I have work to do!" Rin said, not even trying to hide her irritation.

"All work and no play makes Rin very dull." Kohaku taunted flinging the power cord to the ground.

"I am very dull. Why don't you accept that?" She retorted.

"Because no one as beautiful as you are could possibly be dull." He walked around her chair and sat on the corner near her.

Rin glared once more at Kohaku before turning to roll her chair away from her desk to plug the cord in herself. Kohaku quickly captured both armrests to trap her in the chair. His brown eyes ran slowly over the molding lines of her blue tweed jacket, on the angrily beating pulse in her throat, and admired the flawless features of her oval face, wiped clean of any expression. Raven black hair formed around her pale frame, pulled away from her face in a orderly coil. Long and uncommonly dark eyelashes outlined the hazel of her eyes, shooting out electric flashes of irritation.

"Get out of my way, Kohaku. I don't have time for your games." Rin tried to get up, but Kohaku intervened by placing himself closer to her trapped body.

He shook his head mockingly at her. "Not like that, I won't. Have dinner with me first." He smiled broadly, showing his bright white teeth. "Then we can celebrate our union into the big time."

"That's highly impossible. I go home straight after work. I don't have time for dinner...or you." Rin wished that he could remember this, as she had told him the same thing everyday.

"How about I come home with you then? We could have a fine dinner, then sit on the couch and talk a little..." Kohaku's mouth spread into a malicious grin.

"A little? You talk? Really, tell me Kohaku, what would you want to talk about? Politics? Accounting? Or what the color of my bedspread is? No way! Last time I let you in, it turned into a wrestling match in the living room. I am not dealing with you again! Get the hint! I'm not interested in you AT ALL!"

Kohaku rolled his eyes. "It might seem that you try too hard to get rid of me. May there be some underlying love hidden deep with you?"

"If there it is, I'll send it back." Rin stated coldly before trying to turn her chair away from Kohaku. He kept his grip tight.

"Rin, you need someone to take care of you. A lovely lady such as yourself should not go through life alone. Enjoy life and have a little fun." He stated as he trailed a finger down her cheek to her lips. "With me, you could have a lot of fun."

Rin brushed away his hand. "I don't need you or anyone to take care of me. I'm fine by myself. Don't try anything more, because none of it is going to work. I can't think of anything more boring than spending time with you."

Kohaku quickly stood and straightened out the sleeves of his blue dress shirt. "You're just saying that."

"Am I?" Rin said with a raised eyebrow. "I've heard talk, you know."

He walked away from Rin's desk and headed towards her door. Turning to her, she noticed that he didn't look angry, but not pleased either. "You really need to get out because your life revolves around this room. Once in a while you should fit in time for friends, not paper and books."

"I'll keep that in mind. Good-bye Kohaku." She replied dryly, turning back to plug back in the power cord to her adding machine.

She busily began tapping away at the machine, not bothering to see if Kohaku left. When her door closed, Rin paused from her work and sighed. Was she really that much of a workaholic? Maybe she should have taken that date with Kohaku. Her mind drifted, thinking more about the money and the merger. Her blood ran cold at the thought of it.

A glance at her watch made Rin realize it was half past five and her eyes widened in surprise. "Shit! I've missed the bus." Rin groaned as she began assembling her things. Now she was going to have to wait for the next one.

The setting sun was a beautiful backdrop for the bus ride home on through Tokyo , but Rin didn't notice the view at all. Her mind was more impatient to be home right now. When the bus finally came to her stop, it had seemed like eternity. She jogged the two block distance to her home, not caring that she was in heels and a short skirt. She just wanted to be home.

Finally it came into sight, a one-story house of red brick with green shutters. The house was were she had grown up with her parents whom at the time, wanted the American look. Opening the door, she had time to put down her purse and jacket.

"Sorry, I'm late Sango." she apologized to the young woman whom had just walked out of the living room. Her long brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her red blouse accented her almond face perfectly. "I missed my bus. I hope I didn't keep you from anything."

"No way Rin!" Sango laughed. "The only thing waiting for me at home is my cat."

Rin shot her a quizzical look. "I thought that you were going out with that new guy of yours... What was his name? Shiro?"

"Oh, you mean Miroku." Sango blushed. "Well, its kinda off and on with him. Sometimes I don't know if he's interested in just me or all women. Seriously, I feel like he wants to grope every woman's butt! His eyes wander every were, but when he talks to me, I feel like the only woman in the world."

"Good to hear, Sango. So..." Rin lowered her voice. "How's Mom?"

Sango smiled and addressed the room she had just left. "Why don't you look for yourself?"

Rin looked anxiously from Sango to the living room and nearly bolted inside. Her smile widened as she saw the thin woman sitting in a cushioned armchair.

"I guess you're feeling better today." She bent to kiss the pale face. "Hi, Mom."

"How was your day dear?" Her mother's words were slow and carefully placed to conceal her speech slur.

"Fine." Rin lied. "How about your day?"

"I helped Sango plant some flowers in the back and we made a pie today, though she did most of the work. It's your favorite, plum." A smile curved a corner of her mouth, but her muscles weren't able to hold it. But her eyes held the most life that Rin had seen in a long time, hazel just like hers.

Each day it was the same question that she asked her mother. It had to be boring for her mother to be kept within these walls all day sitting in a chair, but it was typical for her not to complain. She had only complained once in her life and it was only a simple, "Why?"

It was when the doctor had informed Rin and her mother that she had a debilitating disease that was slowly but surely killing her muscles. That had been three years and innumerable medical bills ago. These last few months though, had been the hardest. Rin could only watch as her mother's condition deteriorated rapidly, which the doctor had warned would happen. She couldn't even do the simplest things for herself anymore, which was why Rin had hired Sango Yoshida. She was a nurse right out of school that had the right heart to help people in need and just a few years older than Rin herself. But now, Rin was at ease that there would always be someone with her mother. Though it had been tough to take in that she was the older sister of the same Kohaku that she worked with. It just didn't seem like they were really related.

Through all the treatments, the drugs, Sango's salary, the doctor's bill had long ago exhausted their meager savings. The house was mortgaged twice and even the inheritance that her mother received eight months ago from some distant relative was gone. Three months ago, Rin had been at her wit's end, going crazy trying to figure out what to do until an answer formed in her mind. She'd have to come up with another answer now, but this time it was going to be even harder.

Rin saw Sango off into the night and then started dinner for them. It was a light meal consisting of udon noodles, mashed plums, and a soup broth made from scallions and fish. Rin fed her mother the meal, her arm coordination gone long ago from the disease. In between bites, her mother requested to know how work was. Rin paused for a bit before revealing the recent happenings that she had just learned that day. Her mother was very surprised.

"Will it mean a promotion for you?"

"It could." A smile crossed Rin's lips. "Or it could mean that I won't have a job. The new company may get rid of me when they take over."

"Do you really think so?" Her mother said with a frown.

"I'm really not worried about it mother. Even if I do, it will be easy to find another job. The paper is full of listings for bookkeepers. It won't be any trouble."

"True." Her mother chirped. "But it's still a hassle. When will you know?"

"Not until next month probably. That's when they move in." Rin said with a sigh.

"You were always beautiful, you know." Her mother said after a long pause. Rin shook her head, not understanding her words.

"What are you talking about, Mom?"

"Even as a little girl, I knew you were going to be a beautiful woman and now here you are, a woman. I look around here and I see how your life is and I feel guilty sometimes."

"Mom, you shouldn't feel that way! I want to take care of you!" Rin interrupted. She didn't need her mother to go into a state of depression, just as she was looking better today.

"But its true. It's my fault that you aren't enjoying life like you should. Your young life is passing you by because of me and this disease." her mother declared with an sadness in her voice. "I never wanted to put such hardship on you at such a young age. You were only 19 when you had to care for me and now, at 23 years old, you still have done so little in your life."

"Mom, please. I'm not complaining about this. I have the rest of my life to date, go to parties and dance the night away. Right now I'm were I'm needed the most." Rin hated to say more that she only had a few months left with her.

"I was blessed to have such a great daughter."

Tears sprang to Rin's eyes and she quickly turned so that her mother didn't see them as she wiped her face. "I certainly hope so." She declared, attempting to make a joke out of her tears.

"You're full of yourself." Her mother laughed as Rin plastered a smile upon her face once more.


	2. A Meeting That Wasn't Fate

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby acknowledge to all that stuff you have heard before and that you don't need to hear again since we all know it by heart. Takahashi-sama is the only one who can do that.

This is an AU fic based off the plot of an old romance novel of my mom's.

**Cyancat** (\/)

**The Captive Bride**

**Chapter Two** -A Meeting that Wasn't Fate

"It's going to be a great day today." Koga Kato sighed as he stared out the window of the sleek black sporty car he was riding in. "I wish I was spending it out running though."

"Rather than spend a day with me and the spinster that Tosai keeps raving about?" Sesshomaru Sadamoto said as he glanced away from traffic to peer at the man beside him.

Koga shook his head, his long hair waving like a black sea. "Sess, I'm surprised about you. Of all the people I know, you can figure out a person instantly, yet you immediately think this woman is the worst kind of person. I have no doubt about her. All the balance sheets and statements I saw looked like they were done by a professional, not some two-bit floozy."

Sess turned his head back to traffic and stared at the car ahead of them.

"No, its not that, is it Sess?" Koga realized with a look to Sesshomaru's serious face. "You're still harboring over your father's will aren't you? That's it isn't it!"

"Like it was anything else?" Sesshomaru retorted with a snort. "I don't even understand the old dead bastard! Why do I have to get married! Why just me! I'm not the only one in the family. There's Inuyasha, too. Yet, no! He doesn't have to do jack squat! Just sit at home on his hanyo butt! I've been running this company since my old man retired years ago, and now that he's dead, I have to get married just to own it! Do you know how brainless that sounds? I earned that right years ago, damn it!" Sesshomaru slammed his fist upon the steering wheel causing Koga to get the message that he didn't want to talk anymore about the subject.

Koga stared silently at traffic for a moment before deciding to change the subject. "So... what do you think about Sagawa Affiliates? Do you think Tosai's designs are worth overtaking the company for? I mean, they're just designs at most."

Sesshomaru glanced at Koga with a questioning look before turning back to the road. "But they're good designs, Koga. You may not have handled many swords in your life, but I have. I know good craftsmanship. Those swords of his are strong and powerful in the right hands. Plus, the company's been inactive for two years and there's been no growth since Tosai's brother died. With those designs of his, the company should have taken off. Tosai doesn't know what he has in that company."

"Had," Koga corrected. "You own those designs now. And you didn't even let the old man know how much they were worth."

"So? We both got what we wanted." Sesshomaru shrugged. "It doesn't matter how much they were worth. For the time being, Sagawa will serve to just handle our overflow."

"Remember, you promised Tosai that you'd keep the employees there as part of the contract." Koga prompted him.

"I'll keep who I see fit. The others will probably find the working conditions not to their liking and voluntarily quit." Sesshomaru's amused glance was full of scheming.

"That's cruel." Koga reacted with a laugh. "As long as I've known you, you've always had a way about you that said 'evil with a smile.' Did you ever think that we'd be doing this sort of stuff when we were older? I never thought it for a second. I believed it would be running around, chasing out demons, and ordering around my subordinates. Now my only subordinates work with calculators and computers."

"Don't sound do sad about it." Sesshomaru stated as he pulled the car into the Sagawa Affiliates parking lot. "Just the other day, you were raving at how marvelous the new computer system was. Sure, times have changed, but that's all. We just can't run around like animals anymore. Life has changed for all of us and we have to adapt, even if we don't like it."

"This is true, my friend. " Koga stated. "And I don't mind working for you, but... I'd sure as hell hate to be these people doing business with you. This kind of work really brings out the demon in you. I mean, I think you actually like taking out these tiny companies and smothering out the competition."

"You make me sound like a villain." Sesshomaru's mouth smirked. "Even if we are both demon, this job is still hard on our nerves. You know as well as I do what this kind of feral work can do to us. It's just like killing, only we don't get the blood on our hands anymore."

"Yeah, well it's still just as messy to deal with." Koga remarked and got out of the parked car.

Sesshomaru scoffed at the wolf demon that he'd been friends with for nearly over two centuries and got out of the car as well.

They'd known each other since they were young and had grown up together through the years. Their families had worked together for many centuries to keep the demons of the area in check. Along the way, Taisho started a business to make sure that life would be easy for his family. When the time was right, Sesshomaru started work in his father's business and so did Koga. The friendship they possessed wasn't seen by many, but when in private the two could drop all formalities and be themselves. As time went on, Koga became the best financial manager that Taisho's company had ever seen and Sesshomaru eventually went from vice-president to president when his father suddenly died due to a strange demon disease that no one could figure out.

As Sesshomaru stepped out of his car, a green transit bus pulled away from the street corner. His attention immediately went to the slim black haired woman who had obviously just gotten off the bus. She was hurriedly walking towards the main entrance and by the time he and Koga had gotten half way to the front doors, the girl was ahead of them.

A whipping wind was plastering her yellow silk skirt to the back of her legs, suggestively outlining the slender curve of her hips. Sesshomaru wouldn't have been honest if he didn't admit to liking what he saw. He grinned as he let his eyes wander over the graceful curves of her legs and hips as she bent down to pick up a set of keys she had dropped.

As she straightened, the silk shawl that had been wrapped around her shoulders slipped away with the wind and fell to the ground just in front of Sesshomaru's feet. He nonchalantly reached down to grab it before the wind could take it further. When she turned around, he felt his entire body stir at the sight of her. Hazel eyes were beautifully framed in her oval face and her cascading black hair reminded him of darkest night. Her pale pink lips parted slightly in gratitude towards him but that was all. As she took the shawl from his outstretched hand, Sesshomaru let it pull slowly through his fingers, somehow knowing that it was just as smooth as her skin would be underneath those clothes.

"Thank you." she said quietly before rushing off inside the building.

Sesshomaru watched the woman walk hurriedly away inside the building, his mind repeating every curve and shape of her firm body. Even that enchanting voice was a melodious tune.

Koga exhaled a long breath beside him. "I thought I'd never see the day. There is actually one in this world."

Sesshomaru snapped out of the trance he was in and replaced his serious face, turning to Koga. "There is one what in this world?"

"A human that could stop you in your tracks. I don't know if your eyes have popped back in their sockets yet."

"You're seeing things." Sesshomaru scoffed and started walking toward the building. "I don't get involved with humans."

"I think you just met the exception, Sess." Koga kidded as he caught up with the dog demon. "Even I would be worked up over a girl like that, but then again, I already have a mate at home. I just need to go home to Ayame and be reminded of what I have."

Sesshomaru opened the front door and let Koga walk in before him. "Yeah and every time you come back from home, you complain about the mood swings she gets from being pregnant. I don't think that having a mate is such a great thing. There are other things in life than women."

Koga turned back to Sesshomaru, mouth agape at his words and pointed outside. "Then what do you call that thing two minutes ago? If she had said fetch, you would've gotten her a stick!"

Sesshomaru stared at Koga, who leaned against the front desk with a smirk on his lips.

"Just forget it Koga." He huffed and started walking toward a pair of glass doors of the sales department. "Let's just get this over with. I don't want to spend all day talking about her. We do have business to deal with, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Koga sighed, unhappy that his game wasn't working and quickly loped after the tall form heading through the doors.

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In her office, Rin found herself staring into space and tightly clutching the silk folds of her white and yellow shawl. She dropped it down on her desk and smoothed out the creases she had made on it. Wrapping it back around her neck, the musky smell of men's cologne floated around her, obviously from the man she had met earlier. It was a spicy scent she didn't recognize and was intrigued by the tingling that it sent through her body.

Closing her eyes, Rin shook her head to clear it of the memory of those amber eyes, boring their way deep inside. It didn't do any good. She could still see that tall, broad-shouldered man in the deep black purple suit who had returned her shawl. His features had been hardly rugged but were still alluring to any woman. With his pale but perfect skin, his amber eyes were dazzling alive with spirit and strength. The morning sunlight had shone off his waist length silver white hair to give it an iridescent sheen. His mouth had been thin and firm and the nails on his long thin hand seemed to curve like claws.

Everything about him, from the expensively tailored suit that fit his form to a T, to the casual way he wore his long hair, reminded Rin of the chiseled and honed details of a diamond. Although he showed the unmistakable stamp of refinement, it didn't change the underlying hardness of the stone.

Her mind turned to a different subject, as in why was he here? What had he wanted? The question had her sitting up straight in her chair. He'd been here for more than business obviously by his looks, but what for? Maybe he'd ordered some equipment or weaponry for a store or was planning to. What did it matter? Rin shook herself out of the trance-like state that the stranger had put her in. There was a great deal of work that needed attention and she didn't need to spend her day dreaming about some stranger she'd never see again.

An hour later, she was heading down to see the billing clerk because of an error she found on an invoice. There was a static current of excitement in the air as she walked down the hall past the rows of office staff. Something was up and everyone was gossiping about it.

"Kaede." She began, addressing the plump woman who was the head of billing in the company. The plump woman, whom had been talking avidly with the woman at the desk next to her, turned suddenly, surprised at Rin's presence.

"Oh my!" She said, placing a hand over her heart. "You startled me Rin. We were just talking about our visitors. Have you heard?"

"Visitors? Who is it this time?"

"Two executives from Taisho are here, getting a tour of the place! Isn't it exciting? And Yumiko here says that she was talking to Kari down in the service department, where they had just showed up with Mr. Hashi . Apparently they're real hunks too! Did you know about them?" Kaede responded to the question more than whole-heartedly.

Rin felt an icy trail shoot down her spine at the mention of the Taisho executives. "No, I didn't know about them." She paused recollecting her thoughts. "Anyway, you need to fix this bill, you charged the customer too much. You'll have to send them a corrected invoice and adjust the total."

Rin placed the invoice on the desk, but the plump woman hardly noticed, just nodded her head and started to avidly talk again to Yumiko beside her. Rin sighed half-heartedly and walked back to her office, sure that Kaede would do her job once everything had settled down.

Hours later, Rin was jolted from her work by a knock at her door. Looking at the clock she realized that the morning had gone by quickly and it was past twelve.

"Come in." she called and Kaede opened the door enough to stick her head in.

"Yumiko and Hana are going to watch things here while we go out for lunch. Would you like to come with?"

Rin sighed, thinking about the invitation. Her stomach groaned, declaring the need for food. "No, I can't go. There's just too much to do, but could you bring me back something from the vending machine downstairs. I'd really appreciate it."

"Sure thing Rin." Kaede said with a smile and took the money that Rin held out to her, closing the door behind her. Within minutes she was back again to offer Rin a cup of strawberry yogurt and a plastic spoon. With another smile, Kaede was gone and Rin was alone once more in her office. As the yogurt slid down her throat, Rin pondered more about what Kaede had informed her earlier. Two executives from Taisho were here and most likely touring the building. They had to of been the same men she had met this morning. Another vision of the tall stranger that had retrieved her shawl flashed in her mind and a tingle flew down her back. God, what a man he had been. She didn't even spend one whole minute with him and yet, she had felt more alive during those few seconds next to him than she ever had in her entire life.

Her door swung open without the warning of a knock and a puzzled Mr. Hashi stepped in. "Where is everyone, Miss Nagawa?"

"Out to lunch." She replied nonchalantly and lifted the yogurt loaded spoon to her mouth. She looked up and froze, spoon stopping halfway to her mouth. Her gaze was locked on a pair of amber eyes belonging to the tall, broad-shouldered man framed in her open doorway. A glint of surprise and revel shone in his eyes as he made contact with Rin, a smug smile on his lips as well. Rin exhaled the breath that she found herself holding as she slowly lowered the spoon back down to the cup. She didn't need to act like she was surprised to see him nor act like she didn't have any manners.

Mr. Hashi looked at his watch. "I guess I didn't know what time it was. You probably want to go out for lunch right?" He frowned at the man behind him solemnly. "I guess we could come back later."

"Actually Mr. Hashi, Miss Nagawa has the right idea." The tall stranger entered the room, passing by Mr. Hashi and was followed behind by his companion. "We could have lunch in here with her and still be able to talk business. That's alright with you, right, Miss Nagawa?" He said, though his stoic face showed hardly any change of expression save for his animated eyes.

"Sure, whatever suits you is fine with me." Rin stated, her throat nearly choking on the words.

"Good. Tosai, why don't you have some sandwiches and coffee brought in?" He said with a wave of his hand towards the old man who promptly left leaving the two strangers in Rin's company. Placing a hand upon the only available chair in the room, his gaze drifted back toward Rin. "Mind if I sit, Miss Nagawa?"

"No, not at all! Please make yourself feel comfortable." She motioned with a hand toward the chair. She knew that if she had tried to stand it wasn't possible as her body was frozen to the spot. As soon as she had laid eyes on that man for the second time in her life and nonetheless in her own office, her mind had finished the calculations. Those two men were the executives from Taisho Twin Swords. Her palms started sweating and her throat dried faster than she could swallow.

"Sess, I'm going to find another chair. If we're spending lunch here, I am not standing!" Koga declared before marching out the door, following Mr. Hashi's path.

Rin glanced at the man sitting alone in her office, slightly smiling to himself as he reclined to the side, holding his head in his hand. Immediately her eyes shot back to her desk and the papers that had suddenly become very interesting. The half-empty yogurt cup was forgotten, pushed to the opposite end of her desk.

"Mr. Hashi has great appreciation for you, Miss Nagawa." He suddenly stated, pulling Rin out of her shocked state. Her head shot up to stare back into his calm face.

"I, well, I try to do my best. You get used to this kind of thing after a while." Rin said, a blush rising up her neck. "So I presume you are Mr. Sadamoto."

"You presume right, though I would prefer for you call me by my first name, Sesshomaru."

"Do you normally let people call you by your first name just after you meet them, Sesshomaru?" Rin inquired with a raised eyebrow, confused by his request.

Sesshomaru nodded, shifting his position in the chair. "Only my closest friends, plus a few exceptions."

Rin placed a hand on her chest, feeling her rising blush suddenly hit the roof. "I'm an exception?"

"Of course. Though with everything he told us, Tosai neglected to tell how extraordinarily beautiful you are, Miss Nagawa or should I say Miss..." He left off with a pause, prompting her to supply her first name.

"Rin. Rin Nagawa." She gave it to him, yet she was sure that the heat of her blush was radiating off her face like a heater.

"Rin Nagawa. Hmm...It's very nice."

A thought suddenly crossed Rin's heated mind. What in the world was happening to her? She had hardly spent ten minutes with this man and already she was overheating from the blush he had helped to build. She wasn't this desperate for companionship, was she? But she had hardly any time to think on the subject as a movement in the doorway signaled the return of Sesshomaru's companion.

He wheeled in a big swivel chair into the office, a smile on his face as he looked quickly at Sesshomaru before grinning back at Rin. "Hello again, I return from my travels with a chair!" He emphasized the happening as if he had just come back from an around the world trip.

Sesshomaru stood up and walked the few steps toward his companion. "Koga, I don't think you've been introduced to Miss Rin Nagawa yet, have you?" He stared down at his friend, a glint in his eyes telling Koga not to take this any further than what it was supposed to be, a company merger and no more.

"No, not yet." Koga choked out, as he stifled another laugh. That look meant only one thing from Sesshomaru, keep your mouth shut or else he'd close it himself. That meant he WAS interested, totally opposite from what he had said that morning. Koga grinned inwardly, oh he could have fun with this situation. He stepped away from Sesshomaru's glare and reached out a hand to clasp Rin's firmly.

"Hi, I'm Koga Kato, financial manager to Taisho Twin Swords, compatriot to Sesshomaru Sadamoto, and all around good guy." He said all while brightly smiling and shaking Rin's hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Kato." She greeted him, having seen the silent words pass between the two men. She was surprised that such an opposite from Sesshomaru could be friends with him.

Though he nearly matched him in height, he was more slimly built, less muscled. His black hair, cut just past the shoulder, reminded her of the hackles around a wolf's neck. His eyes were a warm blue, not the frozen amber of Sesshomaru's. The tan suit he wore was accented against a gray dress shirt, which seemed to be the best colors that would ever suit him.

It was also his personality that confounded her. He was energetic, happy, and ready to laugh. Sesshomaru hardly looked energetic, more like bored with the world and if he had a smile on his face, Rin somehow felt it wasn't because he was happy. There was nothing about Koga that made Rin feel threatened, yet there were some things about Sesshomaru that could make her say otherwise.

But before more could be passed between the two, Mr. Hashi walked back into Rin's office with a delivery boy right behind him, toting cups of coffee and a sack filled with food.

"Looks like someone was thinking of us even before we were. Met the boy on his way to my office and directed him here. I wonder who would have ordered lunch for us?" He said, scratching his head as the delivery boy received a tip from Sesshomaru and left the office.

"Your secretary, of course." Rin stated as she sat back in her chair. "She orders your lunch everyday, remember? She probably just took a look at the time and seeing you were still with these men, decided to order lunch for everyone."

"Oh, I guess I am getting a little senile. I always forget about ordering lunch. " He blinked a few times, as if to clear his mind. "Well, we might as well sit down and make ourselves comfortable, don't you think?"

With a quick glance at the room, everyone suddenly realized that they were one chair short. Noticing the problem that had arisen, Koga quickly ran out of the office and was back in the blink of an eye with another chair. Finally everyone had a seat and as the three men ate, at which Rin noticed that Sesshomaru hardly ate much and just sipped on his coffee, they began talking about the company.

In his usual talkative fashion, Mr. Hashi took control of the conversation. He changed from one subject to another about his company, yet all he could do was refer more and more to his weapons and the beautiful designs he had made. Rin pretended to have an interest in the conversation, but she had heard it all before. Tosai usually liked to tell anyone he could about a new idea and every time he had come to Rin first. Though it was becoming harder and harder to ignore the fact that she was being studied by a certain Sesshomaru Sadamoto. He seemed to take an excessive amount of interest in watching her as she spoke to Koga and Mr. Hashi. It was like he was watching her mouth move, the way her lips parted to the way her tongue clicked against her teeth as she became more bored about the conversation.

She was more than happy when there was a sharp knock at her door before it burst open. "Rin, someone took my...chair." Kaede finished the sentence quietly as she saw Mr. Hashi sitting in it and the other two men occupying her office. "I didn't know you had it, Mr. Hashi. I'll find another one." And just as quickly as she had come in, she was gone, but not before shooting Rin a crafty glance which somehow said, 'You lucky girl.'

Rin rolled her eyes at Kaede's intrusion and that look. Great, now they'd be gossiping about her. So with their first conversation dead, Koga began asking Rin questions, more about accounting matters- nothing out of the ordinary- and Rin concentrated all her attention with him and answering as best she could.

Thank you all for reading my story, I just wanted to add a little explanation here about Koga. You're probably wondering why I have him portrayed as so happy and enthusiastic, when in the anime, he's nothing like that. Here he grew up around a loving family and became friends with Sesshomaru. No one around him was killed nor was there much reason to fight, as they were one of the high families above all demons. Kinda-like their keepers, more or less. I thought that if he had lived a different life from all the fighting and dying he had around him in the anime, he might have turned out more lighthearted. We might see a little of the old Koga depressed state in later chapters, but we'll see about that.


	3. Don't Be Afraid

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby acknowledge to all that stuff you have heard before and that you don't need to hear again since we all know it by heart. Takahashi-sama is the only one who can do that.

This is an AU fic based off the plot of an old romance novel of my mom's.

**Cyancat** (\/)

**The Captive Bride**

**Chapter Three** - Don't Be Afraid

Their talk lasted only while the food did and soon Mr. Hashi was gone, leaving the pair of men to stay in Rin's office. She hadn't wanted that at first and protested, but how could you say no to the boss? The last thing she needed was to arouse the suspicions of Koga or Sesshomaru. She couldn't act guilty, no matter what they said. Hold her head up high and don't look back. Somehow she would have to make Sesshomaru understand that what she did wasn't really all that bad. It was just at such an inopportune time that she could never openly talk about it with Mr. Hashi until it was too late.

As soon as Mr. Hashi left, Koga leapt at the chance to look into the company records. Working with money always had an effect on him, plus he needed to know how her bookkeeping system worked before he even thought about starting the audit. Rin had heaved a sigh of relief at that moment, learning that the company audit wouldn't start that afternoon. Maybe everything could go easier just for once. She allowed herself to relax and openly talk with Koga, which wasn't too hard since they basically talked the same language, accounting that is.

Soon both men were engrossed in the business' balance sheets and credit sheets, jackets off and hanging on the chair backs, shirt sleeves rolled up, and ties loosened. The change of attitude was striking, from business suits to casual short sleeves, they had changed the environment from frigid to warm. Koga sat to Rin's right while the both of them scanned over ledgers. Sesshomaru stayed in the seat across from Rin's desk but was still connected to the conversation all while leafing through yearly sales charts. Since Rin was occupied with Koga, she didn't have time to look at Sesshomaru, but she still felt that sinking gaze of interest that he never let up on.

He suddenly stood up, which caught Rin's interest and she watched him walk around the small office and then lean against a wall while he leafed through another statement. Reprimanding herself, Rin forced her eyes back down to the ledger Koga was talking about.

"Rin, if you only credit the accounts once, then how do you know how much to bill the customers for the orders every period?" Koga questioned as he stared at a customer ledger. Rin opened her mouth to explain, but rose quickly and went to the wall of filing cabinets in her office. It was better to show him an example then try to tell him. Her gaze flew once more to Sesshomaru as he stood against the wall, the statement forgotten in his hand and his amber eyes were sparked alive again with bright interest as they followed her across the room. Her pulse suddenly accelerated as she found herself under his gaze and forced herself to look away. She didn't need to look like a needy school-girl today. It was important to be professional.

"With the size of this room, it's good you don't suffer from claustrophobia Miss Nagawa." Sesshomaru remarked.

Rin didn't look back at him as she answered, but kept her face pointed to the papers in the filing cabinet. "Yes, it is a little small, but it works just fine for me." It had never felt this small than now, with his large form filing up the spaces... and her eyes.

Finding the right ledger file, Rin slid the cabinet drawer shut and quickly turned around. Not even two steps farther and Rin lifted her head to find that she had just walked into Sesshomaru Sadamoto, unaware that he had moved from his spot since she kept her head down.

His arm went around her waist instinctively, like an animal guarding what was his. It stayed there to steady her. As a result, Rin was fully aware of the thrusting profile of his muscular thighs and hips. With one hand still clutching the ledger, one hand was splayed across his chest. She could feel the steady pounding of his heart, vividly announcing the life within him. There was a tingle running up her spine like an electric current, and it started at his hand that stayed spread across the small of her back. His fingers gripped tightly, melding through her clothes and traced her curves.

"As you said, the office is a little small." He murmured with a smile on his lips and hazy eyes.

She could only nod in agreement and slowly begin to peel herself off his form. His hand dropped from her waist, letting Rin go back to her desk, ledger clutched to her chest. Koga seemed to have seen none of the incident as his back was turned to the filing cabinets. She smiled apologetically at Koga as she tried to explain the billing process, her words a mess from her contact with Sesshomaru. Rin glanced up once to see Sesshomaru rush out of her office, an impassive expression on his face. Was she the reason for the sudden rush out of here?

Sesshomaru gritted his teeth as more visions of the fair Rin flew through his mind. He almost had half-a-mind to just leave now, but not with Koga still in her office. He sighed once, staring out of a window in the hallway. What in the world was wrong with him? No woman, demon nor human, had ever caught his attention like this. He was one of the strongest demons around. He couldn't be brought down by a woman and her murderous looks. Yet every time he caught himself staring at her and nothing else. Gods, he'd only known her for half a day and already his senses were overwhelming him. If they hadn't been interrupted earlier that afternoon, he didn't know if he could have held back much longer. The bright red blush that had crept up her neck and spread across her lovely oval face was an involuntary invitation and he'd almost taken it.

His hands gripped into the metal of the railing surrounding the window. Even more, she was human! They were low class and below any demon, well, any demon like him. HE, Sesshomaru, Son of Taisho Sadamoto, was not supposed to start relationships with humans! Hell, his father did and what did it get him? A hanyo curse of a child, Inuyasha. It was bad enough he was the one stuck with caring for him.

Though he couldn't help but smile at the encounter that he and Rin just had. Even if he had planned it, it couldn't have happened any better. It had seemed so natural, her weight resting against him. He shook his head, clearing away any thoughts of that kind. There was no possible way that he'd let himself be taken over by a human woman. He'd let his company go to the ground before he did that!

A hand clapped onto his shoulder brought him back from oblivion and he turned to see Koga glaring at him with laughing eyes. "I knew it."

Sesshomaru didn't even try to look him in the eye and looked back out the window. "You don't know anything, Koga. I'm just getting some air away from that cramped office."

"Right, right." Koga said while rolling his eyes. "You aren't thinking anything about this girl other than as a co-worker."

"Exactly. She's just a company worker, no more."

"Nothing about her fazes you. She has no effect whatsoever." He said while leaning against the wall to stare skeptically at Sesshomaru.

"No effect at all!"

"So then I guess you don't mind that one of the sales men we met earlier is in there right now, trying his way to seduce the young lady."

Sesshomaru turned his head in a second to stare at Koga then down the hall toward Rin's office with a menacing look in his eyes.

Koga's face lit up, which caused Sesshomaru's to falter realizing his mistake . "Ah-ha! You do have something for her! I knew it! I knew that little clash in the office caused more than embarrassment!"

Sesshomaru's eyes widened. "You mean you saw it?"

"Duh, yeah! How could I not? You stared at each other for at least a minute before disengaging! And I saw that both of you had something going there. Your hand was doing more than just holding her up!"

Sesshomaru turned away with a groan and started back down the hall way. "Listen, I told you! I don't get involved with humans! It was just a mistake! Come tomorrow, I won't even remember her name."

"You mean you won't remember that her name is Keiko Maki?"

"It's Rin Naga..." He trailed off as he realized he had been pulled into another trap. "Koga, so help me, if you even spout one word about this to anyone, I will personally rip you a new one!"

Koga threw up his hands in defense. "Sess, you know I don't talk about business matters at home. But you should still see what's happening here. Stop running away just because of one little matter. So what if she's human? It happens all the time. I mean look at your father."

Sesshomaru stopped just in front of Rin's door and turned on Koga. "IT DOESN'T HAPPEN TO ME! Got it? Now just shut up about the whole matter!" His eyes flashed red once and Koga took the hint.

Rin's head looked up as both men entered her office once more. A smile spread across her face and Sesshomaru felt all of his anger suddenly drain away. "Anything wrong?" she questioned.

Koga brushed past Sesshomaru and clapped his shoulder once in passing him. "No, not with him. Though me on the other hand, I just realized that it was nearing six o'clock. I'll be in trouble with Ayame if I don't call her at home, so may I?" He motioned toward the phone on her desk.

Rin shook her head dumbly. "Oh yes, yes of course! By all means, go ahead."

Koga smiled a thank you at her as he picked up the receiver and dialed out. Rin's eyes flicked back to her watch and then to the paperwork before her.

"Do you have a date this evening, Miss Nagawa?" she heard Sesshomaru mumble.

Her head shot up, surprised to have been caught watching the clock. She had been doing it for about thirty minutes now. Rin shook her head. "No. It's just..."

Sesshomaru watched her fumble for words. "It's just what? You have someone waiting for you at home?" His tone lowered at the mention of someone else in her life.

"Actually, yes I do. I'm not married, if that's what you're getting at. I live at home with my mother, that's all."

His eyebrows raised in surprise. "Well, if I know Ayame, she'll be wanting Koga home soon. So why don't we just leave as well. Koga can start on anything we forgot to go over today when he starts working on the audit tomorrow. Is that alright with you?"

"It would very nice, but I can't leave with all this work left to do." She emphasized her remark by pointing to the expanse of papers that had suddenly showed up on her desk.

Sesshomaru shook his head. "Koga will get that in the morning. He's better than you think."

Rin exhaled a sigh. He didn't know the half of it. With a cough, they both noticed that Koga had finished with his phone call and was watching their conversation with interest. "I'm happy to hear that someone compliments the work I do around here."

"Everything alright?" Rin inquired.

Koga batted a hand. "Yeah, just peachy. Ayame's coming to pick me up. Apparently we have a dinner to go to at her parent's house that I just happened to forget about."

Twenty minutes later, the threesome had just exited the building as a green car sped into the parking lot and straight toward them. A young woman stepped out and to Rin's surprise, looked to be around six months pregnant, the roundness of her stomach being the center point of attention. Her long sleeveless silver dress was a contrast to her long bright red hair held up in two pigtails, making her seem much younger than she probably was. Ayame rushed up to them, grabbed Koga's hand while smiling at Rin and Sesshomaru and pulled him back to the car. The two stared in shock as she put the car in gear and took off, the whole moment not even taking a minute.

Rin laughed lightly at what had happened, causing Sesshomaru to look at her curiously. "Does that happen often with her?" She asked, hiding her smile behind her hand.

Sesshomaru shrugged his shoulders. "I don't see her often, but since she became pregnant, Ayame's a bit more on the edge. Not much with words, but says a lot with her actions. I'd just hate to be Koga right now. I don't think she was very happy with him."

Rin nodded her head in agreement. "Well, I must be leaving. I'll see Koga in the morning I guess, so have a good night." Rin readjusted the strap of her purse over her shoulder and started walking toward the corner.

"You're leaving?" He questioned.

She stopped and turned around. "Yes, I am. What else did you want me to do?"

"Since you worked late and missed dinner, how about I take you out?" The words had left this mouth before he could even think and he mentally reprimanded himself. He shouldn't have to go any further with this. She was just a human woman, nothing more, but as she stared up at him with those vivid eyes, all reasoning was gone instantly.

"That isn't necessary. I really have to go straight home. Thank you, though." Rin turned once more and headed for the bus stop.

Sesshomaru was instantly beside her, walking in long strides. "Come now, Rin. I made you work late and forced you to miss a hot meal. Won't you even let me make up for it?"

"Sorry but no. I don't need any compensation for my work." Rin added plainly, hoping to hide the hitch in her voice. She knew she'd start squeaking like she always did whenever she got excited. She'd been able to keep it in check while inside, but now that she was alone with him, she wasn't so sure.

She started to briskly walk on again, gaining distance between her and Sesshomaru. He caught hold of her elbow suddenly and she turned to glare at him impulsively.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"Home! I keep saying that."

Sesshomaru paused for a moment, more like wondered what in the world he was doing with this woman, and looked down at Rin. She tensed against his hold lightly in silent resistance. There was a flash in her hazel eyes, something that he couldn't place, but it intrigued him more about her. It wasn't normal that he couldn't figure out the thoughts of a human before him. Being the demon he was, he couldn't resist the challenge that she had presented before him.

"Since I can't get you to have dinner, then how about you allow me to drive you home?" Sesshomaru stated.

"I can catch the bus. One will be along shortly at the corner." Rin argued, wanting to keep away from this persuasion.

"Shortly? Or in twenty minutes?" A smile slowly graced his face as he saw the expression on her face change. "I'm parked just over there. A short, comfortable ride in my car would be swifter, wouldn't it?" Sesshomaru gestured toward his car in the background and he saw her eyes flit once in its direction.

"Yes." She agreed with a reluctant nod of her head.

She slowly turned and began walking with him toward the sporty black car. She hated giving in to this, but he was right. She needed to get home soon and that car would be able to do it better than some old bus. She sighed upon their reaching the car, still not happy in her choice. He paused to unlock the passenger door for her and then held it open for her.

"Don't you like cars?" He inquired.

She stared at him incredulously. "What do you mean?"

"You seem to have an apprehension against cars. I mean, you look as if it might bite you." Sesshomaru stated as he leaned against the open door. She had yet to approach him or the car door.

"It...it's nothing really. I just don't feel comfortable riding in cars that belong to people I don't know." She shook her head and quickly stepped up to the car, more anxious to leave now than ever.

"Then there is another matter that we will need to talk about." He said as she stepped next to the car and next to him.

"What!" Her head snapped up and halted frozen in her place. Her face went pale and knees felt ready to collapse under her.

Another leap of fear flashed through her hazel eyes and Sesshomaru was interested even further by it. He slowly reached out to touch the vein pounding wildly in her throat and felt its frantic pulsing under his fingertips. Emotion surged through him in an overwhelming desire to protect, his demon senses kicking in as he felt her body react to his touch. His mind screamed at him, telling him to stop. This was a human woman! How could she come to par with him? Though it seemed less than a whisper to Sesshomaru as his amber eyes feasted on Rin's crimsoning face. Her parted lips attempted to say something, but what ever it was he didn't want to hear it. He raised his hand up to her face and traced her bottom lip with a thumb.

"Don't be afraid." He bent his head down to brush his mouth across her lips.

When they quivered beneath his light contact, a more feral emotion claimed him. His mouth crushed against hers, causing a rush of responses between them. What might have been a hesitant response from Rin, became an almost unwilling reaction. His hand curved along the shape of her neck, feeling her pulse quicken with every passing second.

His other hand sought her waist and pulled her body closer against his. She pliantly arched closer at his pressure until her chest was crushed against his shirt. A growl escaped from Sesshomaru through the heavy kiss as he felt her arch into him, another invitation to him that he almost couldn't say no to. The kiss, though heavy and stimulating, was just a taste of something more to come. He realized that he wanted more, he wanted to know every curve of her body and taste more than the sweetness of her lips. But something from within was preventing Rin from fully responding to his touch and this urged him even more to know this woman. His mouth slowly began its release, trailing across her lips to savor their softness.

Straightening from her, Sesshomaru studied her reaction with a smile. Her still closed eyes and parted lips were enough of a reaction that showed she had liked it. Inside, a question that had been growing doubled in size, wondering what was so different about her. What was with this human woman that made him crave her so? He'd never felt this way about any person, and yet, he couldn't stop thinking about her. He'd only known her for less than a day and he couldn't answer why he felt this way or why that kiss had felt so... right.

Rin's eyes fluttered open and stared at Sesshomaru for a moment, slowly registering what had just happened. A blush swept across her face and she averted her gaze, embarrassed at her own emotions.

Sesshomaru pulled a hand through his hair, trying to find the words to explain why he had even done that. "I apologize Rin. I didn't mean to do anything like that. Something just came over me and I couldn't control myself. I haven't offended you, have I?"

She seemed to say something, but no outburst came. She hadn't objected to the kiss and she wasn't chastising him for doing so either, so something had agreed with her as well. Saying nothing, she moved to slide into the passenger seat and Sesshomaru closed the door behind her.

After giving him her address, Sesshomaru drove the car out of the parking lot into the street. Coming to a stop light, Rin thought to ask. "Do you need directions?"

"No, I think I can find it." He said with a smile at Rin. His gaze turned back toward the road and the green light.

"Do you live here in Tokyo?" She asked nervously, the quiet making her uneasy.

"Yes." His eyes stayed on the road, unwavering from their course.

No doubt in the high hills of the Upper Class citizens, Rin thought. Where else would he live? She shook her head and sighed, feeling her face still warm from the feverish kiss they had shared. She had known he was going to kiss her, so why hadn't she stopped him? Obviously she would have been a liar to protest afterward, especially when she had made it more than plain that she had enjoyed it. Hah, enjoyed was hardly the word. It was tame to be the single word used to describe the raw wonder she had felt.

"Would you mind a bite from a street shop?" He motioned toward a cart vendor that had set up shop by the street.

Her mind jerked back to reality. "No, really, I'm fine."

"Is there something about eating with me that turns you off? Or do you just eat yogurt?"

Rin let out a heavy breath realizing that he was wondering why she had been refusing his offers. It was only fair to tell him now, he'd find out sooner than later. "No, it's just that...my mother. She's not well."

"Really? So that's why you were anxious to get home. I wish you had just told me that in the first place. Koga and I would have let you go home early if that was what you needed."

"No! No, that wouldn't have been necessary. I have a nurse that cares for her during the day, but I hate making her work later than she needs to." Now was her chance, an opening to tell him about her extenuating circumstances that prompted her to "borrow" the money. But for some reason, her tongue tied up in knots the second she looked at Sesshomaru.

"How long has she been sick?" He questioned.

The knot unraveled. "About three and a half years now. She doesn't have much longer before..."

His eyes glanced to look at Rin's sad form beside him and sighed . "I'm sorry I brought that up. I didn't mean to if it was only going to make you feel like that."

Rin shook her head. "It's alright, I've been dealing with it for a while now." Lifting up her eyes to the window, she realized that they had arrived at her home. She stared longingly at her front door. "I just don't know what I'll do without her. She's the only reason that I've been going for this long."

There was a long silence in the car before either of them moved. Sesshomaru was the first to speak. "You'll do just fine, Rin. You're stronger than any woman I know."

She turned to look at his amber eyes framed in the pale snow face. "You really think so?"

Sesshomaru smiled lightly. "Yes, I really do. Now, I don't want to see you in the office tomorrow."

"What?" She said, the squeak taking over her voice. Had he been playing with her all this time?

"Don't come in tomorrow. It doesn't look as if you've had a day off in a long while. Spend a day with your mother. As you said, she doesn't have many left. Just rest at home and Koga can start the audit on his own."

"No, I can't do that! It's my job to help with this. He'll need my help when he gets to the employee records--"

Sesshomaru quieted her with a finger to her lips. "I won't take no for an answer. If I even see you in the office tomorrow, I'll throw you over my shoulder and take you back home. I'll even make it so you still get paid for your day's wages. You've definitely earned a day off. This is a direct order from your new boss. Got it?"

Rin let her shoulders droop and stared up at the man beside her. What else could she do? Anymore and he'd get suspicious about her actions. Anyone would jump at a day off with pay, so why would she say no? Only if there was something to hide. Maybe Koga wouldn't get that far tomorrow. She could only hope.

Sesshomaru read the surrender in her eyes and smiled. He had won the fight, though he knew it wasn't the end of the war. He saw her slowly moving to exit the car and felt spurred on for one more thing. His right hand, which had stayed her lips and had fallen to the arm rest, rose up and clutched her shoulder lightly. As Rin turned around to question why, his left hand captured her chin, pulling her towards him. His mouth took possession of her lips, banishing all her defenses. Her eyes opened wide for a moment before she closed them, melting once again in his hold. No matter what she felt before, he banished all her fears away, his lips telling her of a new memory, bright and warm. Rin was dazed by the mad excitement that made her blood pound through her veins at this moment, it seemed so wild and unbroken. When Sesshomaru finally broke the kiss, she gasped for the cool air, but craved that feeling Sesshomaru had within him once more.

He slowly pulled away from her, seeing the heady look in her eyes and was pleased so see what he had conjured up inside this woman. Maybe, just maybe... "Remember, Stay home tomorrow. Okay?"

Rin slowly nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, I understand." Her hands fumbled to find the door handle and it caused Sesshomaru to reach over her and lift the handle hidden in the armrest. His push swung the car door ajar.

With one last look into his golden eyes, Rin skittered out of the car before anything else could happen. His face had been so close to hers. If they had kissed again, Rin didn't know if she would have survived. As she walked up to her door, Rin was aware that the car remained parked at the curb until she had entered her home and closed the door. She watched through the window in the door as the black car started up and rolled down the road. Leaning against the door, she held a hand against her chest. There were so many things to think about. Not the least of them was the audit that Koga would be starting tomorrow, without her.


	4. Drenched Beginnings

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby acknowledge to all that stuff you have heard before and that you don't need to hear again since we all know it by heart. Takahashi-sama is the only one who can do that.

This is an AU fic based off the plot of an old romance novel of my mom's.

**Cyancat** (\/)

**The Captive Bride**

**Chapter Four - Drenched Beginnings**

Rin pried her eyes open to stare at her clock as the alarm started blaring. It was the usual time for her to get up, 5:15 AM. Though with what Sesshomaru had told her last night, she didn't know if she could obey him. Sesshomaru had told her to stay home, but she couldn't stand to stay here all day. Sango would be here at 6 and with her a question asking why she was staying home. Even her mother would be asking questions all day why she was home and not at work. It wasn't like Rin to just take the day off, especially when they needed the money. And how could she explain that Sesshomaru told her to take the day off, especially after kissing him, twice even!

She flipped over on her bed and looked out the window, peering through the blinds. It looked like a promising day, not a cloud in the morning sky and the sunrise itself was beautiful.

Rin closed her eyes again and reached out to hug the stuffed white dog that she slept with. She had to admit, all her dreams were filled with Sesshomaru and those burning gold eyes. In her dream, they had been on a ocean cruise, staring out at the sea, then he'd taken her into his arms and kissed her passionately. The events of amorous love making they had done in her dream still swirled through her mind and she unconsciously blushed at the thought, burying her head into the stuffed dog. How could she even think about doing that with him? Yes, they'd kissed, but that was all it was going to be. It just wasn't something that one did with the new boss, at least one who didn't want a scandal on their hands.

Rin rolled over and hugged the stuffed dog closer. Yet, she hadn't seen a ring on his finger. He wasn't married. It was better odds then none. She looked at her clock once more. 5:24. Well, she might as well as get up and get ready, but for what, Rin didn't know.

Shedding the comfort of her bed, Rin sat up and began her morning procedures to get ready. Right on time, Sango arrived promptly at six, letting herself into the house and shifted off her jacket. She paused to frown at the slumped form of Rin sitting at the kitchen table, a cup of coffee still steaming in front of her. Dropping her keys and purse on the table, she pulled up a chair next to Rin.

"You alright?" Sango inquired.

"Yea," Rin nodded her head. "I'm fine."

"You sure don't look it. Are you being overworked? Why aren't you ready to go? The bus will be at the stop soon." Sango looked at her watch.

Rin laughed lightly at Sango's comment. "Actually, I have the day off today." She admitted half-heartedly.

"That's great!" Sango exclaimed. "You haven't had a day off in a long time, you've earned it!"

Rin looked at Sango curiously. "You really think so?"

"Don't you think that you deserved it by now? After all the time and blood you've put into that company? Why not?"

Rin shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. It just feels odd. I don't even know what to do today. I mean, I could help with Mom-"

"Hold it right there!" Sango interrupted Rin, pointing a finger at her face. "My job is to work for you and take care of your mother. I have been trained in these duties, not you! I will not tolerate you straggling around here, getting in my way. You need to get out and do something for yourself! All I have ever seen you do is take care of your mother and not yourself. You're dedicated and it's appreciated, but you'll kill yourself at this rate. You need to relax for at least one day."

Rin stared in disbelief at Sango. "Are you sure? I mean, you don't mind me not being here?"

"What do I do here everyday when you're not here?" Sango said with a smile on her face, standing and getting a cup of coffee for herself. "It's going to be the same thing as always. You go out and do something for yourself. Go to the shopping center, the zoo, the library, even the park! Just get out!"

"You know, the park does sound pretty good." Rin said, a smile spreading across her face. "I haven't been there in a while. Maybe I'll go there."

At eight, an hour later than when she was usually at work, Rin stepped out of her home with a wave to Sango and started walking down the sunny street. She was starting to enjoy this time she had on her own during the still quiet hours of the morning. It was rare she had any peace to herself. At eight-thirty, she made it to the city park and choosing a bench in the sun, sat down to watch the day go by. She smiled at couples who passed, a child that cried as his mother pulled him along, and a pair of old men shuffling along down the sidewalk engrossed in a loud conversation.

She pulled a small novel out of her purse that Sango had given her for some light reading and began her journey into the story. Time passed and her stomach growled at her with a loud gurgle, making Rin look up and realize that it was close to lunch. She had been so engrossed in the book she hadn't noticed the time slip away. She reached into her purse and pulled out a sandwich Sango had made for her and nibbled on it lightly while reading further into the story. It was such an intriguing story because the main character, a woman by the name of Tohru had been living in a house with two handsome men as their housekeeper. Strictly business at first, but as time went on Tohru began to realize that she had feelings for the men. And just her luck, the men had fallen for her too, yet fought like cats and mice over her attention. It was just starting into the climax of the story arc. Tohru was confronted by the two men, asking her to choose one of them.

Rin was just about to turn the page and learn the conclusion, but something stopped her. That something was a fairly large drop of water landing right on the top of the opened book. It left a huge water mark and Rin quickly rushed to wipe off the moisture and keep it from ruining the paper. Suddenly there was another large drop, then one on her head, the drops accumulating by the second. Rin looked up at the sky to see that it had darkened quickly with gray clouds blocking out the sun.

She scrambled to stuff the book in her purse while trying to make her way into someplace dry. A large rumble from above her rolled through the park and right behind it came a wall of rain. Rin hardly had time to shield herself from the downpour much less get to a dry spot. Instantly she was drenched, the rain soaking everything it hit. She grumbled to herself as she started walking back home in the drenching rain, like she could get any wetter. It had started out so nice and now... well it wasn't like she really needed this instant shower.

Rin was almost half way home when she realized that there was something following her. It was a sleek black sports car slowly following her down the road, taking it's time to stay just behind her line of sight. Rin didn't dare look back for fear that it might be a kidnapper. She knew their game, once the prey realized they were being tailed, they'd make their move. Just keep quiet and walk quickly to the closest police department.

"Hey!"

Rin quickened her pace, hearing a voice call out to her.

"Rin! Would you stop!"

Rin stopped in her tracks hearing her name called out and turned to see who the voice belonged to. The pouring rain didn't help her to see any better, but as the car pulled up and the window rolled down, her eyes widened in surprise. Quickly she started walking away. It wasn't just any person, it was Sesshomaru! "I don't need any help, thank you very much!"

"Rin, come on! You're walking around in the rain!"

"As a matter of fact, I like walking in the rain. It's very refreshing!" She turned on a heel and began walking the other way, making it impossible for Sesshomaru to follow her in the car.

Seconds later she heard his car door slam and started walking even faster because of it.

"Rin! Rin!...Stop there or you're fired!"

Rin froze in mid-step and slowly turned around to the tall figure approaching her. Sesshomaru wore a long black trench coat, unmarred by the rain and held aloft a wide blue umbrella that didn't allow any room for the rain to hit him. A stern look was upon his face yet his golden eyes laughed at her unease.

"Thought that'd get you. What are you thinking walking around out here?" He walked up next to Rin and held the umbrella above them both, staring boldly down at her.

Rin glared angrily at the ground, not daring to look at Sesshomaru for fear of melting under his gaze. "I was thinking about catching a cold so I didn't have to come in tomorrow. What do you think? I got caught out in the rain!" Rin huffed and crossed her arms, sneezing in the process.

Sesshomaru reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, which caused her hazel eyes to slowly travel up, instantly meeting his and melt she did. His stoic face was unemotional, yet he stirred so much inside her with those golden eyes. "I thought I told you to stay at home."

Rin shook herself free of his grip, yet stayed within the confines of the umbrella. "You told me not to come to work. I can't just stay at home all day for no reason. My mother would be asking me questions all day because of it and I can't tell her what happened!"

Sesshomaru's eyebrow quirked. "What happened?"

Rin rolled her eyes. "You-you kissed me!" She pointed a finger at his face. "You practically forced yourself on me, twice even! I should never have gotten that ride home from you in the first place! What kind of man does that to a defenseless young woman?"

"Well, I don't actually remember you trying to get away from my advances either." Sesshomaru quipped back.

Rin started to retort, but she cut her words short and looked away into the rainy street.

There was a long pause between the two before Sesshomaru sighed and wrapped his arm around Rin, pulling her toward his car.

Rin squeaked in the shock of the sudden moment. "What? Where are we going Sesshomaru?" she questioned, the strength of his arm around her washing away any bravery she had left to stand up to him.

"My home." He stated blandly.

Rin's jaw dropped. "Your home? But-but-but WHY? I only live eight blocks from here."

"That's eight blocks too many. Anyway, do you think you want to go home now? In the pouring rain? You look like a drowned cat already. And it doesn't look like its going to let up anytime soon. You'll probably catch pneumonia before you get home. I can't have you getting sick because of me. If it means anything, I'll even promise you that I won't try anything. Alright?"

She stared at Sesshomaru for a moment, judging to see if he was speaking truthfully. "Fine."

"Then it's settled." Sesshomaru said, opening the car door and settling Rin into the passenger seat. He bolted around and slid into the driver's seat. "We'll just go to my place and get you dried off. Nothing more. Then I'll take you home."

Rin nodded her head in agreement and stared silently out the window as Sesshomaru put the car in gear and took off down the road. Five minutes later he turned onto a long drive that Rin had thought was at first a street but later realized it was his own driveway. There were trees abound, mostly with the flowering cherry kind, a personal favorite of Rin's. The drive was adorned with fountains and statues all the way up to the house. Wait, did she say house? Hardly. It was mansion! It looked as if she had just stepped into the past, for his home looked just like a castle. There was a gate built around the huge home, giving it an even more important feel to the whole place. The mansion was a dazzling white with huge columns supporting the roof which extended out to cover part of the driveway and the top two floors of the house had a balcony surrounding them. The width of the house was at least as long as a football field and who knows how long it was, since she couldn't see around it! There was a garage off to the left, but it looked more like a warehouse with four car doors in front.

Rin was still staring in amazement as Sesshomaru stopped the car in a cul de sac ending in front of the mansion. He stepped out and even opened Rin's door for her as well, with the rain pelting down upon him and the outstretched umbrella shielding her. The two hastened towards the front entrance's immense black double door and Rin could feel the overwhelming sense of intimidation pouring over her as they neared his home. Unconsciously she edged closer to Sesshomaru.

Shielded by the outstretched roof, they paused as he unlocked the door and Rin's gaze ran over the expensive black material of his jacket, cut to frame the broadness of his shoulders and tapering close to the slimness of his waist and hips. He stood up while placing the keys back in his pocket and Rin turned her head sharply away. She couldn't believe what she was doing! Stop staring at the boss like he was a piece of meat!

Sesshomaru pushed open the door, seemingly unaware at Rin's sudden interest in the door knocker and waited for her to enter before him. She jumped when she realized that he was waiting for her and stepped inside the large foyer. Her eyes widened as she was surrounded by the immenseness of the home. The ceiling expanded all the way to the top of the third floor and a Y-shaped staircase opened into the foyer with white wrought-iron railings curving to the base, where large black squares of tile alternated with white. Rin felt lost already.

"Come," Sesshomaru said, seeing her expression and taking her hand. "You can use one of the guest rooms on the second floor."

"One of the guest rooms?" Rin questioned as she was being led up the stairs. "And you live here all alone?"

Sesshomaru glanced back at her and shook his head. "Not hardly. There's the servants quarters on the first floor. My room is on the third... and then there is also my brother's." He ground out the last word through his teeth, more than emphasizing the dislike he had for his sibling.

Rin's eyebrows raised in surprise. "You have a brother?" She had never heard of him having any family.

"Sadly, yes I do, but I don't spend much time with him. We like to... keep our space, if you know what I mean. Ah, here we are." Sesshomaru stopped before a white double door, his hand resting on the door knob. He glanced at Rin with a wink. "I think this one will work for you."

Rin merely nodded in agreement and stepped forward as Sesshomaru gestured for her to enter before him.

Rin gazed in awe in the wonder of the guest room she had been assigned. The wall color was a deep chocolate brown with a burgundy border. A huge king size bed with dark red bedding and corner posts that rose to the ceiling. A fireplace, though dead, was across from the bed with a huge dresser on each side. Two dark blue plush sofas and an armchair sat circling the lavish patio door that lead out to the room's own terrace.

"There's a private bathroom for this room," Sesshomaru gestured to the left of the double door towards a frosted glass door, "Use it if you need to. There are robes in the closet. I'll have one of the servants come up and get your clothes in a few minutes."

"If your guests live this well, I'd love to see what your room looks like." Rin slapped a hand over her mouth, the words already out of her mouth before she could stop herself. Her eyes, wide with alarm, turned to look up at Sesshomaru, whom seemed to be intrigued at her miss-spoken words.

"I'm sure we both would, but we'll save that for a future tour. Hmmm?" Sesshomaru glanced once more at Rin before turning and exiting the room. He closed the door deftly, leaving Rin in the semi-quiet of her guest room.

Rin sighed and started pulling the pins out of her hair. She had worn it up like she usually did when going to work. It just seemed natural to do. Now she wished she really hadn't. It just made her rat's nest of hair get worse. She sat down at one of the dressers with a huge vanity mirror and started to pull out the pins, grimacing every time she pulled one out wrong. Five minutes later, Rin was sure that her scalp would never be the same again and that she would never use that many pins again either.

With a long look around the room, Rin decided that she might as well take a bath. It wasn't going to get any better, whether she was dry or not. Shedding her yellow blouse and orange jacket with matching skirt, Rin neatly folded them and placed them on the bed. The servant should get the right idea when they came for her clothes. Opening the closet doors, Rin spied five terry cloth robes, each a different color. She quickly grabbed one and wrapped herself in the soft warmth it was known for. Oh how wonderful it felt to live in luxury.

Opening the frosted glass door, Rin was nearly floored by the immenseness of the bathroom. Its size was just as big as her bedroom at home. Peach and white tiles covered the floor, accenting the brass colored fixtures and the beautiful marble sunken tub placed in the corner, hidden from direct view. On the sink counter lay a brush and comb, with other toiletries that she might need. Rin was amazed at what Sesshomaru provided for his guests. You could just come with a change of clothes and still have all you needed. She turned to look at the marble tub and smiled, how wonderful to have use of such fantastic facilities.

Rin didn't know long she had been sitting in the tub, but every moment felt like heaven. An assortment of oils and scents had been available, so she was very liberal with her choice. Closing her eyes, Rin reveled in the heavenly scents that surrounded her. She thought that she heard something that sounded like a door closing, but figured that it was the servant returning with her clean clothes and dismissed the whole thing.

Then the door to the bathroom sounded like it had just been opened and closed. Rin pried an eye open, hoping that she was really dreaming it up. Rin realized that she wasn't when she spotted a young woman leaning to look into the mirror above the sink. With her black hair coming just past her shoulders, Rin thought that she must have been only a few years younger than herself. The green T-shirt and blue jeans the young girl wore was a definite contrast against the peach colored bathroom and Rin could only but stare at her.

After a minute, Rin hoped that she would leave, but she reapplied make-up slowly and precisely like an expert beautician. Rin was already uncomfortable in the now lukewarm water and decided enough was enough. Rin cleared her throat loudly enough for it to reverberate through the bathroom. The young girl froze instantly hearing the sound. Her head swiveled to look around the bathroom and when she finally glanced over at the tub, her eyes widened in shock. She let out a shout in surprise which she quickly muffled, clapping both her hands over her mouth.

Rin smiled apologetically at her and waved a bubble covered hand at her. "Hi."

The girl pointed a finger at Rin. "Who are you? What're you doing here?"

"Umm.. I'm Rin and I was taking a bath until you barged in here. Who are you?" Rin questioned, still uncomfortable that she had to carry a conversation now while still in the tub.

"Me? I don't think I should tell you that. No one is supposed to know that I'm here!"

"Well, I know now and unless you want me screaming out for help, will you hand me a towel and kindly turn around so I can get out of this tub?" Rin shook her hands free of bubbles. "I feel like a prune."

The girl nodded and quickly skittered to grab a towel and hand it to Rin. With the girl's back turned, Rin hurried to get out of the tub while wrapping the fluffy white towel around her. She studied the young girl for a moment before deciding to finally talk to her. "Well, are you going to tell me what your name is? I told you mine." Rin crossed her arms across her chest and tried her best to look angry.

The girl turned at the sound of Rin's voice and looked at her imploringly, clasping her hands together and shaking them at Rin. "Please, please don't tell Sesshomaru I was here! He'd kill me if he knew."

Rin became confused when she mentioned Sesshomaru. Was this, gods-forbid, his girlfriend or dare she say it, his fiancé? "You know Sesshomaru?

The girl grimaced lightly. "Sort-of. There are extenuating circumstances around that. I beg of you, don't tell him I was here!"

"First, what is your name and second, why don't you want Sesshomaru to know you're here?"

The girl sighed in frustration. "Fine, I'm Kagome. But before I tell you why I'm here, you gotta promise not to tell anyone else."

"Me promise? I'm not the one on the short end of the stick here, Kagome."

"Please? It's the only way that I know to trust you." Kagome implored intensely.

Rin threw up her hands in disgust, before suddenly remembering that she needed her hands to hold up the towel and dropped them, grabbing the towel before it fell. "Alright! I promise I won't tell, especially Sesshomaru, now why are you here?"

"I've been secretly seeing his brother, Inuyasha. Sesshomaru hates him and hates even more the fact that Inuyasha would want to spend time with me, so he has banned me from the house and from seeing Inuyasha. I couldn't stay away so I come over when he's at work. I use one of the guest rooms to get in and out by climbing the trellis. Inuyasha can't leave because the help here would know instantly if he left. Rin, you're the first to even know that I've been doing this. I'm really sorry that I barged in on you, but I had no idea that Sesshomaru would have a visitor today."

"Well, neither did I, kiddo. I only work at the business that he just took over. I got caught in the rain and Sesshomaru offered me to clean up and dry off here before he took me home."

Instantly Kagome was interested. "He was nice to you! But-but- You're human!"

"So?" Rin rebuked. "You are too! We all are! Sesshomaru is just different. He's been trouble ever since yesterday when we..." Rin trailed off realizing that she was saying too much.

"What? What did you do?" Kagome asked, seeing Rin start to blush in embarrassment.

"Umm, maybe you should just go. I'm sure that you need to get home, so why don't you-" Rin started to say, trying to change the subject.

Kagome cut her off. "Oh, no! I told you mine, now tell me yours. What is it you two did? Did you fight? What?"

Rin shook her head and started to head toward the bedroom. "Look, if you really want to know, let me get dressed. I hate to be the person standing around half naked and freezing while telling their life story. Just wait a few minutes, alright?"

"YOU KISSED!" Kagome nearly yelled at Rin as the two women sat on the bed.

Rin nodded her head. "We did, but is it so hard to imagine kissing Sesshomaru?"

"YES!" Was the overpowered answer from Kagome. "He's...he's...he's HIMSELF! I mean he just doesn't go and start kissing women any time he wants. He hates women , especially human women--" Kagome caught herself a second too late, slapping a hand over her mouth.

Rin peered at her curiously. "That is the second time you've mentioned being human as if we were different from Sesshomaru. What are you getting at?"

Kagome laughed nervously. "Ah, well, it's nothing at all, REALLY! I just don't classify Sesshomaru in the human race, that's all! It's just something I do!"

Rin peered at her once more, uncertain if Kagome was telling the truth, but heaved a sigh figuring that she was just imagining it. "Kagome, you'd better go. Sesshomaru will be wondering if I drowned or not. I've been up here for a while."

"He's here!" Kagome jumped off the bed and started to scramble around the room, grabbing her bag and stuffing in items she had used earlier. "Why in the seven hells didn't you tell me! Gods, he'll know I was here!"

Rin watched Kagome tear around the room. "What are you talking about? He won't know. I promised you that I wouldn't tell. Plus, its still raining cats and dogs out there." She pointed a finger towards the patio windows.

Kagome looked up at Rin for a moment. "Oh, he'll know!" She continued finding her things and stuffed them in her bag. "He WILL know. He has a...'way' of figuring these things out. I gotta get out while I still can. And the rain... I don't mind getting soaked. Its actually fun once in a while to get soaked through and through."

Kagome ran to the terrace and looked out once before straddling the rail and turned toward Rin with a smile. "Thanks so much for everything. I hope I see you again!"

And with that, Kagome was climbing down the trellis in a mad dash, the rain not even a factor in her run across the grounds. It left Rin stunned and confused as to what Kagome was so scared about Sesshomaru. He wasn't that bad of a person, was he?

Sesshomaru sat idly at his mahogany desk in his study, trying his best to read the budget requests for next year at Taisho, but his mind kept wandering to the girl upstairs. Rin Nagawa. She had blinded him since the moment they met and yet now he still couldn't understand it. She was human and he was demon. There was no possible way that they should even be together. Humans and demons simply didn't mix, but why did she enchant him so? Why did her face float through his mind? Why had he even given into those primal urges and kissed her so actively? He wouldn't let himself have feelings for this girl. She was nothing more than a human and that was how it was going to stay. The other day was a mistake. Yes, a mistake. He'd forget everything and start anew. He needed to figure out the other problem in his life. His father's business which would always come before his own life.

The phone ringing jolted Sesshomaru out of the daze he had fallen into. Blinking once, he reached out and grasped the phone from its cradle.

"Sadamoto speaking."

"Sesshomaru, good to have caught you at home." Purred the feminine voice through the receiver. Sesshomaru groaned inwardly.

"Yes, its just marvelous that you always know where I'm at, Kagura." He said with feigned amusement. "What do you want now?"

"Well, I've been looking through the papers here on your case and I see that the deadline is coming up for your father's will. I do hope that this isn't becoming a problem for you. I mean it must not be easy to find a willing and suiting woman to fill the position as Mrs. Sadamoto."

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes and leaned against his desk. "For your information Kagura, this isn't part of your case files. You and I both know this. I know what you're doing and it isn't going to work. My father's company is not for sale."

"Oh that's so good to hear. I was so worried, thinking that you'd never find a mate and then loose the company. So sad, thus forcing the chamber board to pick a new president of Taisho Twin Swords. Lucky for them that Naraku is here or else they'd probably pick someone unworthy of that prestigious name."

"Too bad for Naraku, but I will be taking over. I will find a mate, but I would never choose such a disgusting demon as you are! Do NOT bother me again! "

Sesshomaru slammed the receiver down, eyes tinting red in his flush of anger. "Damn that bitch! Thinking that I would marry her or else Naraku get the company. If it wasn't for the fact that all our funds come from my father's company, I'd leave it all behind in a second."

Again the phone began calling its distress out to Sesshomaru. He glared at the object before grabbing the receiver.

"WHAT IS IT?" He yelled into the phone.

"Sess? You okay?"

"You couldn't have called at a better time, Koga." He replied with a groan. "I just got off the phone with our favorite attorney."

"Kagura's been bothering you again? She never let's up. Once she gets an idea in her head, it sticks. I just can't believe that she even thinks that you'd marry her for the company."

"Don't remind me, Koga." He rubbed a hand to his temples. "She just had to refresh my memory on the fact that I only have a week left before the will goes void. This isn't turning out to be the hill of beans I thought it was going to be."

"No one said that marriage was easy. But its even harder for you when you don't even know who you're gonna marry yet."

"Just shut up already. Why'd you call me? Having trouble with the audit, Koga?" Sesshomaru said, frowning at the idea of it.

"No, its not that. The reason I called is on something that I'd rather not go over with you on the phone. Were you planning on coming back this afternoon?" Koga queried.

"No, not really." Sesshomaru paused for a moment. "Is there something wrong?"

"Just come to see me first thing tomorrow. I'll be in Tosai's office."

"Tosai's? You're making this seem very cryptic, Koga. Can't you just tell me now?"

"Sorry Sess, but no. It isn't meant to be said over the phone. Just come and see me as soon as you get here tomorrow."

The line buzzed as Koga hung up the phone, leaving Sesshomaru very puzzled.


	5. Truth's Apocalypse

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby acknowledge to all that stuff you have heard before and that you don't need to hear again since we all know it by heart. Takahashi-sama is the only one who can do that.

This is an AU fic based off the plot of an old romance novel of my mom's.

**Cyancat** (\/)

**The Captive Bride**

**Chapter Five - Truth's Apocalypse**

"Alright, what were you so shaken up about yesterday?" Sesshomaru questioned as he entered Tosai Hashi's office, flinging his jacket on the brown leather couch next to the door. Koga was standing at the window, his back to the door. He turned when Sesshomaru spoke, a drawn and concerned expression on his face. He hesitated for a moment as he stared back at Sesshomaru, then put a hand on the desk between them. "There's something wrong with the books. Something really wrong." He emphasized his last words.

"And would you like to tell me what's wrong or just keep me in suspense?" Sesshomaru questioned, crossing his arms.

Koga opened two ledger books on the desk for Sesshomaru to look at. "Going through the records for the audit, I've found that there's roughly fifty-five thousand dollars that can't be accounted for."

"What!" Sesshomaru stated, his eyes widening. "You're kidding, right?"

Koga shook his head. "I've checked it so many times, I've memorized those numbers exactly."

Sesshomaru pulled the books closer, his eyes racing over the pages. "Who else knows about this?" he demanded.

"Just us, no one else... except the person who took the money. Even I had a hell of a time figuring this out for myself. It was very skillfully hidden."

"There has to be a mistake, some explanation or some reason why..." Sesshomaru faded off, his mind groping for a way to understand the predicament they were in.

"That's what I thought too ... at first Sess," Koga pointed towards the penciled numbers. "But you can see it there for yourself. Plain as day–"

"I can see that Koga!" Sesshomaru roared, slamming the books closed. "I can see that, but I don't want to believe it. This isn't what we need right now! We're merging with this company in a few weeks time and we can't have an embezzler on our hands! Not now! I already have too much to deal with. I can't deal with this and my father's will at the same time!"

"How about I ask Tosai? He might know something about it." Koga suggested.

Sesshomaru let out a raspy coughing laugh full of scorn. "Don't even bother. That man only has one thing on his mind and numbers aren't it. He couldn't have made those entries. The only person that could have..." Sesshomaru gritted his teeth in his sudden realization. Rin. He sat down on a chair and groaned in agitation. "This isn't happening. I really don't need this!"

"I'll talk to Rin, Sess. No need for you to get any further into the problem." Koga offered, seeing Sesshomaru's uneasiness.

"Too late, I'm already in up to my chin." Sesshomaru said, holding his growing anger down which started knotting up in his stomach. "I'll talk to her. No need for you to do it. After all, I am the boss."

Koga nodded in agreement and picked up his own jacket from a chair, while heading toward the door. "I guess I'll leave it to you then."

Sesshomaru stopped him with a raised hand. "No, you'd better stay. I don't know what I'll do when she's in here, or to her reason why that money is gone. At least we'd get to the bottom of this with you around."

Rin didn't notice at first the smile that crept upon her lips as she placed the phone back in its cradle. Mr. Hashi's secretary had just informed her that Mr. Sadamoto wanted to see her right away in Mr. Hashi's office. When she did notice her smile, Rin reprimanded herself for even thinking that way. He was her boss, nothing else. It wasn't like he was interested in her anyway.

Last night, he'd done just as he said. She had come downstairs to him waiting at the end of the staircase. He took her home and then arriving at her door, he drove off with her standing at the front step. He had hardly said ten words to her the whole trip. Just 'yes', 'no', and 'see you tomorrow.' Maybe she had been hoping for him to kiss her again, somewhere deep inside. She wondered if he had just been playing her. He was a handsome man. It was possible that he had a girlfriend or two or more. Usually men like him were playboys and she didn't need to fall for a man like that.

Rin hurried down the hall toward Mr. Hashi's office as she didn't need to keep him waiting. It must have been an important reason to call her away so suddenly. Darting a smile at the secretary, Rin moved to the door and knocked once. A voice that she noticed as Sesshomaru's allowed her to enter. She entered the room, her eyes adjusting to the semi-dark. The shades were shut and only a few table lamps were on, leaving a mysterious feeling in the office. Sesshomaru sat at Mr. Hashi's desk, his attention diverted to some papers on top. A slight movement to Rin's right told her that more than one person was there. That other person stepped into the light and she noticed Koga's familiar face.

"Hello, Koga." She greeted him with a wide smile and turned towards Sesshomaru. "You wanted to see me Se... Mr. Sadamoto?" She didn't know how to refer to him with Koga in the room.

He raised his head, face shadowed by the dark room, yet his amber eyes burned through the dark with an intensity she had never seen in a person. She shivered unconsciously from the fiery glare he gave her. "Yes, I did. Koga and I have some questions for you."

"What might that be?" She asked, her eyes flitting to look at the papers on the desk. It didn't take a moment to notice the black ledger book that she had keep secluded for so long. The alarm went off in her head and Sesshomaru's words confirmed her fears.

"We want you to tell us what you know about the missing fifty-five thousand dollars."

"You– you know about it?" Her legs were suddenly turning to jelly.

"Yes, Koga found it last night while working on the audit." Sesshomaru leaned back in his chair, intertwining his fingers, much like a villain would do. "What exactly happened, Miss Nagawa?"

Rin noticed the change in Sesshomaru's voice and the change of formality in using her name. She slowly lowered herself down to the armchair in front of the desk. A choking laugh escaped from her throat, venting some of the tension she had hidden inside. "I– I actually feel somewhat relieved that you found out." She said, surprised at her own revelation.

"And? What happened to the money?" Sesshomaru questioned, wanting more than just her emotional feelings right now.

"I borrowed it." Rin started and then paused, trying to find the best way to start her explanation. Sesshomaru didn't let her start.

"Borrowed? You just borrowed fifty-five thousand dollars?" He roared, letting his anger get the better of him for the moment. He stood suddenly from his seat, using his height to physically intimidate the sitting Rin . "With whose permission!"

Rin stared up at the towering Sesshomaru, ready to stand her ground. "With no one's permission." With the thunder gathering in Sesshomaru's features, Rin hurried on with her explanation. "I approached Mr. Hashi many times to ask for the loan," her courage building, she tilted her chin up. "But there was always something that interrupted me before I could get to saying it, or else he was so wrapped up in a project that he didn't pay attention to anything else. I needed the money desperately. Since I had borrowed money from Mr. Hashi and his brother before, I knew that he would loan it to me again. So... I took it. I hate that I never told him, but I was desperate. But as how they loaned me in the past, I knew Mr. Hashi wouldn't mind."

"I bet he wouldn't!" Sesshomaru jeered, his usually calm face cut into scornful lines. "When a man is as old as Tosai, he would consider the company of a beautiful woman such as yourself a rare treat and be thoroughly 'compensated' for his deeds."

Rin's jaw dropped. "It's not like that at all! You make him sound like a lecher!" She protested, wishing she could have slapped him. "Mr. Hashi and his brother have been like uncles to me during my years here!"

"So I hear. Old men have a tendency to adopt beautiful 'nieces,' " he sneered.

Rin's face visibly whitened at his words. "Why you no good, son-of-a– "

"Let's just cool off for a moment, Rin." Koga intervened. "If its true that it was just a loan, then what was the reason for hiding it like this in the books?"

Rin tore her furious eyes from Sesshomaru and turned toward Koga, whom had moved next to the desk. When she did, Sesshomaru walked away from the desk to stand at the window, drawing a shade open to stare into the bright outdoors. His posture was still rigid, body clenched, hands clasped together behind his back, legs slightly apart. It showed that he still didn't believe a word she had said to him.

"It was how Mr. Hashi– the other Mr. Hashi, Myoga, had told me to enter it with my first loan. I was going to put it as an outstanding loan, but then I remembered how he had told me to do it. I figured that it was best to go the same route again." Rin explained.

"What kind of trouble are you in, Miss Nagawa?" Koga asked while sitting on the edge of the desk, trying his best to keep the situation and questions calm, for at least her sake.

"Trouble? You think I'm in trouble?" Rin repeated.

A scornful cough came from Sesshomaru's tall form. "You are in more trouble than you can swim in, Miss Nagawa." he snapped without turning to face Rin or altering his stance. "When somebody takes fifty-five thousand dollars, they'd better have fifty-five thousand and one reasons why they did it. So you'd better start telling us everything!"

"I've told you before. My mother is...very ill." Rin described further into the details of her mother's ailment, the failing of her health from day one, the loss of her mother's ability to walk or even move without help, and the constant drain on their finances for the medical bills and other costs that had to be paid.

"Then how were you figuring on paying back this loan?" Koga questioned before Sesshomaru could say a word.

"My mother has a sixty thousand dollar life insurance policy." Rin swallowed the lump in her throat. "I know it sounds horrible, but when she finally... passes on, I was going to use the insurance money to pay off the loan. It's only a matter of months before...she does pass away."

Rin turned her eyes to stare at Sesshomaru's still statue-rigid form. "I fully intended to pay back the loan, with interest! When Mr. Hashi – Myoga gave me a loan a few years ago, I paid him back after my mother received a small inheritance over eight months ago. There was nothing criminal in my actions then or now!"

The room sat in silence for a minute as the men mulled over Rin's words. Sesshomaru grumbled and changed his stance a little, legs shifting from their fixed place. "Koga, leave us." He stated, still not turning away from the window.

"Alright." he replied, standing from his uncomfortable seat. He walked to the door and left with a few words to Sesshomaru, "Just don't go too far."

Sesshomaru didn't react to his words, yet it left Rin feeling even more scared for her sake. She had hoped that they'd understand her, but it wasn't going that way at all.

"What is it that you want me to do, Miss Nagawa?" He said with a silent sigh.

Rin swallowed the lump in her throat. "I need you to understand what I'm going through. I never meant any harm and I don't want to bring you any trouble because of it. Just listen and understand, for once."

He turned to her, eyebrows arched. "That's all? You want nothing else?"

"No. Why? Do you think there's more to it?" She said, confusion clouding her face.

"Don't you want me and Koga to keep quiet about your little... 'loan?' Don't you think its best to keep this predicament under wraps?"

"Well, I thought you'd want to tell Mr. Hashi, but I don't know of anyone else to tell."

"You don't know? Or don't want us to know? My dear, you took fifty-five thousand dollars from the company that you were honestly employed at and then tried to hide that fact in the ledger books!" Only a few strides was what it took to bring him back to the desk and to tower over Rin once again. "You didn't just steal your stapler, my dear. Its much more than taking office supplies. You took fifty-five thousand dollars!" He slammed his hand upon the desk, emphasizing his words.

"I borrowed it." She corrected.

"Borrowed? Do you know what this looks like? We're not a bank! This is embezzlement! Look at it!" He picked up the ledger books and threw them at Rin. She flinched as the books hit her and flopped down to the floor. "We can't harbor people here who take money. And you can't expect me or Koga to keep this quiet!"

Rin's eyes widened in fear. "Why? Why can't you! It was just a loan, that's all!"

"You are no longer dealing with Sagawa Affiliates and the tame Tosai Hashi! This is Taisho Twin Swords Corporate! This is me you're dealing with!" His voice heightened with every word, pounding at Rin's ears. "You have to face my company and even more the council members that yet I have to answer! They don't forgive people at any level for any reason!"

Rin pursed her lips, fighting to keep her place in her own defense. "I told you, I was going to pay it back with the insurance money!"

"Why the hell not just cash it in and get it over with then? Why pull this out longer than it has to be?" Sesshomaru growled back.

Rin only stared back at his angry face, fighting back her tears. Suddenly, the bubble hidden within her burst open and everything she had been holding back came flooding through the open gates. "Because I wouldn't have received even half of its face value! That isn't enough to pay the company back! You just can't judge me when you don't know what we've been through, what I've been through! Do you know what it's like to see your mother go through such a disease and know that there isn't anything you can do to help her! Do you? I had to start taking care of her since I was 19! Nineteen! Do you have any idea how that affected me or my life? I literally have no life. I keep working here, day in and day out, only to pay the bills that just keep coming! Doctors cost money along with medication, treatments, a full-time nurse and it never stops! At least I would get the money back from the insurance to pay back the loan. That should at least account for something!" Rin dropped her head into her hands, catching tears that had found their way down her cheeks.

Sesshomaru stood back, silenced at Rin's explosion. The room went still, save for the few moments of Rin trying to calm herself, taking deep breaths and sniffling. He sat down in the chair behind him and stared at Rin's shaking form, eyes watching while his mind weighed the effects.

"What's the name of your insurance agent?" Sesshomaru stated, catching Rin off-guard.

She snapped her head up to stare at him, blinking reddening eyes. "My-my insurance agent?" she questioned, searching his face. She noticed that his fiery glare was gone, but it's place was taken by an icy amber instead.

"Yes, your insurance agent. I want to check this story out for myself. And, if it is true what you say, we'll change it so that the beneficiary is the company and not you. That way we make up for your 'loan' as soon as possible."

Rin nodded in silence, sniffling once and wiping an eye. Grabbing a piece of paper, she jotted down the information and threw it across the desk. She was hurt that he didn't trust her, but couldn't make herself say anything more in her defense, she had said it all. Sesshomaru glanced at the paper laying before him and then turned his chair to face the window behind him.

"Go back to your office, Miss Nagawa. I'll check with your information, but don't even think about leaving on your own. I'll drive you home personally to make sure you get there safely." His last few words were so cold, Rin felt a shiver come over her.

"I understand, Mr. Sadamoto." Slowly Rin stood, regaining the strength in her legs and walked to the door. Not even hesitating to look back behind her, Rin didn't notice Sesshomaru turn to watch her walk out the door, his face evident of disappointment.

That night, Sesshomaru showed up at Rin's office door and motioned for her to follow. The ride to her home was a silent one and Sesshomaru only took time to mention that he'd pick her up in the morning before taking off. The next morning, he showed up promptly at seven and another silent car ride was almost too much for Rin to bear. When they arrived at Sagawa, Sesshomaru hardly took any more notice of her than was needed. He merely opened the front door for her and then went on his own way, leaving Rin standing alone in the front lobby.

Rin did the only thing she knew how to, go on with her day. Somehow everything would work out. The hard part was over since Sesshomaru now knew about her loan, so maybe things would get better from now on. Taking a deep breath, Rin started toward the elevator.

Mr. Hashi's secretary looked up and squinted through her glasses as Sesshomaru stalked quickly down the hall toward the office in the early morning hours. Waving her hand at him, she almost didn't catch his attention as his mind was traveling elsewhere.

"I've got a message for you from a Mr. Kitsune. He called earlier for you." She held out a slip of paper to him.

He approached her desk, puzzled by her words. "Kitsune? I don't know anyone by that name. Did he say what he called for?"

"Just that he was calling back from the message you left him yesterday on a question about insurance policies." She paused for a moment as he stared blankly at her desk. "Are you looking to get a policy for yourself?" She questioned for the mere interest of her curiosity.

Sesshomaru's head snapped up, noticing the hint in her voice. He swiped the paper out of her hand and strode into the office as quickly as possible. "That'll be all for now, Mrs. Hanako." He stated before closing the door behind him.

Crossing the large office towards the mahogany desk, he adjusted his tie to a more comfortable place and sat down in the suede leather chair. Apparently Tosai had been here already as his coat and hat were hanging on the coat rack, but he had probably gone to the design rooms again. Couldn't blame him. It really wasn't his company anymore.

He dialed the number left by the Mr. Kitsune and sat back. A secretary answered and put his call through.

"Mr. Sadamoto, it's a privilege to finally speak to you. My name is Shippo Kitsune. How can I help you out?"

"Shippo Kitsune. Why does that name sound familiar? You wouldn't happen to be the same Shippo, head of the Fox Clan, would you?"

"Why, yes. I'm taken aback that you know my name, sir. Its not everyday a fox gets recognition, especially by a demon of your stature."

"It's not as much as it's cracked up to be, but I'm surprised that you're in this line of work, though. Not many demons jump at a job like this."

"Well, there are chances for improvement and I don't deal with the best types of people. But its good for a makeshift station to help out younger demons who have just come into the city. Though, you were needing some information... You were asking about insurance policies? Am I right?"

"Yes, well, I need to check on a life insurance policy. Its for a Rin Nagawa. She's been named the beneficiary on the life policy for her mother..." Sesshomaru rifled through the papers on his desk, searching for a certain file. Finding it, he quickly flipped through until he had the right information. "For a Mrs. Hikaru Nagawa."

"I'll find the file, right away. Wait one moment please, sir." Sesshomaru could audibly hear Shippo put the phone down on the desk and start to rummage around the room, hollering once at his secretary. It brought a smile to Sesshomaru's lips, imagining the young man rushing around just because it was for him. It meant that he still had power over the clans, he still had a chance. The phone clattered again as Shippo picked it up.

"Got the file here, sir. What did you need to know?"

"How much is it for?"

"How much? Well, it was for sixty thousand on the death of Mrs. Hikaru Nagawa, but the policy is no longer in effect."

A still quiet came over Sesshomaru. "What? Since when?"

"Looks like the policy was cashed in eight months ago. Apparently it was too much to keep up with the premium payments."

"Eight months ago?" Sesshomaru repeated. "You're sure about that?"

"Yes, I am. Is there a problem?" Shippo questioned.

"No, no problem at all. Thank you." Sesshomaru stated automatically, his voice slowly turning to a growl.

Dropping the receiver back on its hook, Sesshomaru was beyond hearing any of the last words spoken by Shippo. By now the rage was building inside Sesshomaru, his eyes glowing a dark blood red. He was furious at this new information. She had lied! To him! How dare that insolent girl do such a thing!

He pushed out of his chair, sending it crashing to the floor. Crossing the office, he slammed the door closed behind him and when the secretary shot him a warning look, he glared back at her with such a viciousness, she was left blinking after him in shock.

Rin sighed once to herself as she worked on a spreadsheet. Her mind just wasn't on her work today and it wouldn't be for a while. Sesshomaru had left her in a state of shock. His cross words from yesterday and his cold demeanor this morning were two different sides to Sesshomaru that she hoped she'd never see again. It had been scary to even sit in the same room with him. She could literally feel waves of anger and suspicion flowing off of him. To think that she might have actually felt something for him, but now that was crushed beyond all capacity. No way would she let herself fall for a man that had reacted so hatefully to her. He didn't believe one word she said and nothing could convince him otherwise.

A sound at her door caused Rin to look up and her breath caught in her throat. Speak of the devil.

Sesshomaru's piercing gaze eyed Rin as he leaned against the door frame. She smiled uneasily at him and cleared her throat. "I didn't expect to see you so soon this morning."

"I'll bet you didn't." Sesshomaru stated, a sharp bite in his words. He walked into her office and sat down in the available chair across from her desk.

Rin shrugged off his words. "Did you come to watch me work? Make sure that I didn't steal any more money from the company?" She spat back at him, the one way she knew how to fight back against him.

"I want you to tell me again what you told Koga and I yesterday."

"Again?" Rin stated, outrage evident in her face.

"Yes, AGAIN. Every detail you told us, I want to hear it again." Sesshomaru countered, shifting his place in the chair so that he leaned forward, elbows on his knees. His eyes were narrowed slits that challenged her to go on.

Rin swallowed the lump in her throat and started her story once more. She began with an account of her mother's disease and the dire straits they were in, finances to a minimum. She stated about how she had tried to talk to Mr. Hashi about the loan and how every time she failed.

"Don't forget about your first loan." Sesshomaru prompted when Rin paused.

Rin looked at Sesshomaru with widened eyes. "I was just coming to that!" She said pointedly. Shaking her head, she described in detail the first loan that Myoga Hashi had given her and how she had paid it off with the inheritance money that her mother received. Rin couldn't but help to repeat much of her information as she wanted to make it certain that Sesshomaru knew that she had paid back the loan the first time. Then she referred to the insurance policy and her realization at what was happening with her mother.

As she finished, Sesshomaru sat back and began to clap his hands, applauding her in mockery. "Fantastic, just fantastic! You did even better than yesterday, but then, you had time to perfect your story, didn't you?" He chided, his voice low and piercing.

"I told you all of this yesterday! It isn't a story, it's the truth!" Rin protested in a sudden rush of anger.

"I hardly believe that you know the definition of that word." Sesshomaru jeered. "With a body like yours, you could make any man believe that story and anything else you want. When you left the office yesterday, what were you thinking? Did you laugh to yourself, 'The poor, dumb sucker bought every word I said?' How much was I going to have to pay for you? Fifty-five thousand dollars!"

"What are you talking about!" Rin's mind reeled in confusion. What was he talking about?

She stared at him, her mind in a state of shock as he stood up to rest his hands on her desk and leaned toward her. " You thought that you really hooked yourself a prize, didn't you? I admit I was taken– for a while. I thought that Koga just had to of made a mistake about the money. I didn't want to believe that you had anything to do with it. Then when you just openly admitted that you had 'borrowed' it," He sarcastically spat out the words, "I was, to put it lightly, enraged at your actions. Then you started that lovely sap of a story. I can't believe that I swallowed that shit about your POOR, DYING, MOTHER!"

A phenomenal slap was the next thing that rang through the office as Rin lashed out with her right hand. Connecting against the hard cheek of Sesshomaru sent stabbing needles all the way up her arm. Both stood silent in the room. Sesshomaru's head had turned to an angle from the force of the unexpected slap, an ugly red patch rapidly turning on his pristine alabaster cheek. Rin stood before her desk and breathed angrily through her nose, her chest rising and falling with new found energy. Moving away from the desk and out of Rin's range, Sesshomaru straightened.

"You made sure that I was on your side before you literally let the cat out of the bag." Sesshomaru continued in the same scathing tone. "You let me have a little kissing, a little petting, then finally reel me in. No wonder there was no resistance from you. Tell me, just for curiosity's sake, how long would it have taken before I finally laid you? Did you figure that out on your schedule yet!"

"No, I never thought anything like that!" Rin rebuked, angry and repulsed at the same time.

"Did you think that you could play me like you did the brothers Hashi? Did you find out about the company merger and jump at the idea of another man to reel in?"

"You're insane!"

"No." Sesshomaru laughed at her words. "I may have been out of my mind earlier, thinking that there was anything pure about yourself, but not now. You played your hand too many times and I've caught your bluff. Before you start a scam, you had better damn well make sure that everyone plays along with you, including your insurance agent! Or maybe you were just so caught up in the act that you thought I wouldn't call him?"

"Why would I? If you called him, then you know the details of the policy and its amount."

"Drop the act, Rin!" Sesshomaru took a step closer, yet was wary of another attack by Rin's hand, "This wide-eyed innocence won't work anymore. Stop pretending, I know your plan!"

"It isn't an act! I don't have any plan!" Rin erupted. "Will you stop saying that about me!"

"So I guess the next thing you're going to say is that you didn't know that the policy is no longer in effect? Or is there a case of amnesia going around?" Sesshomaru crossed his arms and stared down the distraught woman, daring her to make a move.

"You're lying!" Rin yelled back at him. "You've been spewing lies from the very start! I know that the policy is still in effect. I just paid the last premium!"

"No, no. You are the one lying here. You cashed it in, remember?" He took another step forward, causing Rin to take a step back.

"I didn't!"

"Dammit woman! Quit lying to me! I know you cashed it in! You did it eight months ago, the agent told me! When you 'borrowed' the money again, you knew there was no way to pay it back!"

Rin's breath caught in her throat, her body locking up in a sudden paralysis. He couldn't be right, he just couldn't. I was just a fluke that her mother had received the money when Rin needed it eight months ago. There couldn't be any connection between the two. She slowly let herself fall back into her chair.

"Your insurance policy doesn't exist." Sesshomaru leaned once more on her desk, boring down on Rin. "And I'm beginning to doubt that your 'sick' mother even exists."

"Don't you dare say that!" Rin said through choked gasps for air, feeling her herself begin to hyperventilate.

With one long stride, Sesshomaru was beside her, seizing her wrists and pulling her out of the chair.

"Wha-What are you doing?" Rin spoke out against the sudden act.

"We're leaving." Sesshomaru stated, matter-of-factly without a glace back at Rin as he pulled her out of the office.

"Where?" She said as she stumbled after him, wrestling with the grinding hold he had on her wrist. "Where are you taking me!"

Sesshomaru looked back at her puzzled face, eyes hardening when her eyes met his. "Can't you guess, Rin? I'm taking you home to introduce me to your precious, dying mother. Unless, of course, she has been magically healed to do some shopping!"


	6. An Indecent Proposal

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby acknowledge to all that stuff you have heard before and that you don't need to hear again since we all know it by heart. Takahashi-sama is the only one who can do that.

This is an AU fic based off the plot of an old romance novel of my mom's.

**Cyancat** (/)

**The Captive Bride**

**Chapter Six - An Indecent Proposal**

* * *

Once they were outside, Sesshomaru shoved Rin into the passenger seat of his car and climbed into the driver's seat while slamming the door. Rin rubbed her wrist, trying to stimulate the blood flow back into her hand from the stone death grip Sesshomaru had used.

They were a block away from the building before Rin got the courage to speak up. "I think I know what happened to the insurance policy."

"Really? Come up with a story already?" He ridiculed her with a malignant sneer. "You must have a vivid imagination!"

Rin ignored his words, though they bore into her deep. "I didn't cash the policy in, but I think my mother did."

"Now you're trying to push the blame on her? Now that's rich! No doubt the two of you are working together, like mother like daughter."

Tears burned at Rin's hazel eyes, flooding quickly enough so that she turned her head away so he couldn't see them. She stared out the window, her vision blurring.

"Before, I mentioned that I received a small inheritance about eight months ago. I used most of it to pay back the first loan. At the time my mother told me that is was from a distant relative and to put it in the bank. I was so overjoyed that she received it that I never gave it much thought as to who it came from."

"You wouldn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth, now would you?" Sesshomaru said mockingly, his mind shutting out any of her pleas. He wouldn't believe anymore of her lies, no longer would he be pulled in.

Rin turned to glare angrily at Sesshomaru, eyes still shimmering with tears. "Look, I've told you the truth! Why is it so hard to believe that I had no idea where the money came from? My mother asked me many times to cash in the policy, seeing the dire straits I was in. It was becoming impossible to make payments on the policy along with all the medical bills and I turned her down every time. Hr. Hashi – Myoga Hashi—convinced me the policy would be excellent collateral, under the circumstances. So whenever she spoke about it, I refused! I think that the last time, she took it upon herself to do something about it since I wouldn't agree to it."  
"Good try, but no medal."  
Rin rolled her eyes. "Fine, so there isn't any insurance policy, no money and there won't ever be any! But I swear that I'll pay back the money!"

"How?" Sesshomaru challenged.

"My paycheck, you can take some out of it every week, like a regular deduction." Rin argued.

The reaction that Rin received was a strangled laugh from Sesshomaru's deep throat. "My God! You've got guts suggesting such a thing!"

"Why? At least I've giving you back the money and I'm guaranteeing you that you'll get it!" She flared.

"I figure that you are suggesting that the deducted payments be around 300 dollars a month. Am I right?" He replied dryly.

"Well, I would need money to live on."

"Do you have any idea how long it will take you to pay back fifty five thousand dollars and the interest it would accumulate? Twenty years, if you're lucky!"

"I understand and I take the responsibility." Rin said as she brushed a tear that had slipped away. "But I will pay you back somehow."

"Sadly enough, that will be hard to do!"

"What?"

"You don't have a job here anymore!"

"What're you saying!"

"You're fired, that's what!" Sesshomaru retorted.

"W-W-Why!" Rin turned to give him a stricken look of shock.

"You honestly don't believe that I'm going to let you stay working at the office when I have proof that you're a thief and an embezzler!" He sliced her a narrow look. "I wouldn't put you in charge of a lemonade stand, let alone permit you to continue working in an accounting post."

"But I'm good at my work!" Rin protested.

"Ha! Too damned good!" he scoffed. "Koga had a heck of a time finding your little loan and he can run circles around any billionaire's accountant. I wouldn't even hire you to answer the telephone!"

"Then what am I going to do? I have to work! How can I possibly earn a living?" Rin panicked, nearly pleading with the man next to her.

"How the hell should I know? You obviously didn't think of that before you got greedy, now did you?" Sesshomaru replied with ridicule as he slowed the car and parked in front of Rin's home.

* * *

There was a startled gasp of alarm when Rin walked into the house followed by a tall and obviously unhappy man. Sango stood poised and ready to attack if necessary, for she had prided herself on the fact she was a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Rin waved a hand at her in assurance that all was well and pulled her away into the kitchen as Sesshomaru took off his coat and shoes.

"What are you doing home so early?" Sango chirped at her, worried more about her company than her early return.

"I—"Rin's words were cut short as she felt Sesshomaru's cold stare upon them. He scrutinized the pair of women, his gaze sweeping between the two. "Sango, I'd like you to meet… my employer, Sesshomaru Sadamoto. Sesshomaru, this is Sango Yoshida, the nurse that looks after my mother."

The look that Sesshomaru gave Sango was a cynical gaze that tried to find fault with the young woman. It looked to find fault in the fact that she was quite young to be in that line of service nor did she wear a uniform.

"How is Mrs. Nagawa?" Sesshomaru inquired drolly.

Sango looked him up and down once before answering the man, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "I imagine she's probably wondering why her daughter is home in the middle of the morning and with her boss nonetheless."

"Then how about we go into her room." Rin interjected quickly.

"By all means." Sesshomaru replied and gestured for Rin to lead the way.

Rin was first to enter her mother's room and walked to the hospital bed, bending down to kiss her mother's cheek and murmur a greeting. As she turned to face Sesshomaru, her hand automatically sought the limp hand of her mother's in an instinctively protective gesture. Her eyes dared Sesshomaru to challenge the state of her mother's health.

Making the introductions, Rin watched his expression, but he showed no reaction—not pity, not doubt, not acceptance—nothing. She wanted to scream at him to admit that he was wrong, to say that he now believed that everything she said was truth and that he was even the little bit sorry that he had said what he did earlier. But, of course, she didn't.

"This is a surprise, Mr. Sadamoto." Her mother said in her concise speech pattern to make her slurring voice more distinct.

"I insisted that your daughter bring me here so that I could meet you." Sesshomaru stated with a forced smile. "She talks about you frequently."

"Tamara has mentioned that your company is taking over Mr. Hashi's. You will be treating her right, won't you?"

"Of course, she is a brilliant worker in her position." His eyes darted once to Rin before turning back to her mother.

Rin sighed heavily to herself, seeing the fleeting glace he had sent her. He still didn't believe her story, at least some of it, for that look said more than her mother could realize.

"Would you like some tea, Mr. Sadamoto?" Her mother asked of the tall man before her.

"I would greatly appreciate it, thank you." He said, accepting.

Though Rin was reluctant to leave Sesshomaru alone with her mother, she stood wavering uncertainly beside the bed, still clutching her hand in a mute attempt at protection. She felt that Sesshomaru would ask her mother about the loan money if they were alone and she couldn't bear to think what her mother would think after that.

"I would like to talk to you much more, Mr. Sadamoto," her mother said with concentrated effort, "But I tire easily. Perhaps it would be better if you had your tea in the kitchen with Rin."

"Of course, Mrs. Nagawa." He agreed to her proposal automatically. "It has been…a pleasure meeting you."

Her mother's eyelids drooping, Rin quickly ushered out Sesshomaru before they disturbed her any further. He followed her out of the bedroom through the living room and into the kitchen. Sango eyed Sesshomaru curiously as she passed them to check on her patient.

In the kitchen, it was deathly silent between the two as Rin set to making tea for them. She pulled out two mugs from the shelf next to the sink and filled them with the ginger tea they always had on hand. Keeping the mug with a chip on it to herself, Rin handed the other to Sesshomaru, who had seated himself at the dining table. She turned away from him and leaned against the kitchen counter.

"So, I suppose you still think that it was an act, that my mother was faking it." she accused forcefully, "Maybe you'd like to talk to the doctors. I can give you several numbers to call. One for our family doctor, the specialist's number, his consultant, or maybe--"

"That's enough!" Sesshomaru snapped. "I am already convinced that you were telling the truth about your mother."

"Am I supposed to be grateful?" She stalked to the table and pulled out the chair opposite of him, sitting down to glare at the man. "I told you the truth from the start and still you look at me like I'm some kind of con-artist."

"Yes, you did tell the truth, but only when you were faced with the problem that Koga and I had found out about your plan. There is still the matter of you taking the fifty-five thousand dollars, you know." He said sharply, causing Rin to lean back in shock.

And now no insurance policy to pay it back—and no job. "Yes, I know." Rin admitted, wishing it wasn't true. She sighed once while cupping her hands around the warm mug of tea, somehow searching for a soothing effect in the mug's warmth. "How am I going to explain this to my mother?" She lifted her gaze to meet his piercing look.

"Tell her you have me wrapped around your finger. I gave you another day off because I've been making you work too hard with the audit and all." He jeered, letting her see that his opinion hadn't changed. "I don't know what you're going to do or tell her and I don't care. That's your problem, not mine."

He moved out of his seat and walked around to stand next to Rin. "Do you think that I should give you the money?"

"Would you really do that?" Rin questioned, hope fluttering in her eyes.

Setting his mug on the table, Sesshomaru put out a hand on the back of her chair and the other on the table in front of her and leaned down. "Why should I?" He challenged.

"Because…you want to help me." Considering the low opinion he already held for her, this was all that Rin could think of since there could be no other reason—not any more. His hard, lean features told her that and more.

"What would I get out of it?" His hand left the table to curve around her throat and tilt her head back.

Gripped by the throat, she couldn't elude his mouth when it came down to capture hers and force a deeply passionate kiss that flamed her blood. He freed her lips to draw a breath while his hand slid from her throat to possessively cover the small of her back, arching her forward.

"Lady, you'd be an expensive lay." His remark prompted her into slapping his hand away. The action merely drew a smile as Sesshomaru straightened. "And what would it accomplish? It might get you out of trouble for the moment, but inside of a month you'd be badly in need of money again. That probably doesn't concern you, though." He taunted. "With your beauty, charm, and body, you'll find yourself another sucker to supply the cash. That insurance policy is a good ploy. Maybe the next guy won't be smart enough to check on it."

Sesshomaru made his way to the door and made a slow effort of putting on his shoes and grabbing his coat.

Rin pushed out of her chair. "What're you going to do?"

He paused for a moment, glancing over his shoulder, raking her with his amber ice eyes. "That, my sweet, lovely… witch, is something I haven't decided yet. It keeps running through my head that embezzlers regularly wind up in prison." With that, he yanked open the door and walked out of the house, leaving Rin staring after him in shock.

With the closing of the front door, she collapsed in the chair and buried her head in her hands. What had she done? It had all been so innocent at first. Now what had it become?

"You're back, Mr. Sadamoto." Mrs. Hanako started to rise from her chair when he entered, reaching for the messages that had arrived in his absence.

Sesshomaru swept past her desk in a hurry. "I don't want to be disturbed-for any reason.' He barked out to her and was inside the office with the door closed before the secretary could do more than open her mouth.

He walked to the side of the spacious office opposite the desk where the liquor cabinet stood in a corner. Normally he never touched the stuff, far too low of a demon to drink, he had always thought. Now it seemed like the best possible way out of the misery that his head was tormenting him with. Everything that was going on in his life was crumbling and there was hardly anything he could do to stop it. Vultures Kagura and Naraku lurked around the corner to steal his father's company and essentially the rights to rule over the demons of the land. Then there was the problem with Rin Nagawa. Yes, that young woman who had started something deep inside him and he didn't like the results one bit. No matter how his mind resisted to her charms, his heart and body kept pulling her closer. It wasn't normal, for he, Lord of the Demon Lands, to fall for a woman, a human nonetheless! How could he show that he was still able to rule the lands when his thoughts were more on what Rin was wearing under her skirt?

He found the bar well stocked and pulled out a large bottle of Scotch. Breaking the seal, Sesshomaru filled a squat glass, bolted down the amber liquid with a grimace, and refilled the glass. In a chance decision, he took the bottle of Scotch along with another unopened bottle and walked to the cream colored sofa opposite the desk. Stripping off his suit jacket and tie, Sesshomaru sat down on the plump cushions, propping his long legs up on the coffee table before him. With almost ruthless determination, Sesshomaru set to work to empty the bottles on the table.

* * *

A hand upon his shoulder began to shake the dog demon awake. "Sess? What happened to you?"

The sound seemed to reverberate through his sensitive demon ears and pounded through his heavy head. Sesshomaru tried to open his eyes and had to cover them with his hand against the sudden glare of light. His mouth felt like it was coated with a layer of wool and his stomach threatened to rebel the moment he moved a fraction of an inch.

"I thought I said that I didn't want to be disturbed." He grumbled through a raked dry throat.

"I think that was yesterday, Sess. Look at yourself." Koga replied shaking his head at his smashed friend.

Sesshomaru merely replied with a groan, complaining more on the loss of the whole day.

"I think I'll get you some coffee, black…. very black. Stay where you are." Koga commanded of the dog demon. He quickly left the office in search of the darkest brew available.

Sesshomaru groaned once more and laid back on the couch, twisting an arm out of the uncomfortable place he had put it earlier, behind his head with his hand gripping his neck.

Sesshomaru didn't know long it had been but it seemed like only a minute had passed before Koga rushed back into the office, coffee pot in hand. He squinted through dark eyelashes, seeing Koga stand over him with an amused smile on his face. "What do you want, Koga? Don't you see I'm dealing with something right now?"

"Yeah, I see that. You finished off the whole liquor cabinet." Koga set the coffee pot on the table before picking up a bottle laying on the floor. "Vodka? You actually drank the whole bottle?"

Sesshomaru slowly leaned forward, clutching his pounding head. "I think so. I don't really remember anything after I emptied the Brandy jar."

Koga shook his head and set down the bottle. "I knew that your tolerance was high, but this is ridiculous Sess. What were you trying to accomplish?" He said as he filled a coffee cup and held it out to Sesshomaru.

"I was trying to forget about someone."

"Someone?" Koga's ears pricked at the tone he had used. "And just who is this someone?"

Sesshomaru glared at Koga before slugging back the cup of coffee and held it out for more. "None of your business."

"You plastered yourself over Rin, didn't you?" Koga accused, seeing the truth behind his friends actions. He refused to fill the proffered coffee cup until he was given an answer.

Sesshomaru gave him a glaring look that said immediate death for the wolf demon. "What makes you think that I'd do something that stupid over a tawdry little wench like her? Huh? The fact that she's lying, maniacal, cheating, and more beautiful than any flower in the world?"

"I knew it." Koga said with a smile. "You've actually fallen for a human woman. Oh how the sky will fall, the ground will shake! Sesshomaru the great has fallen for a human woman!" he laughed mockingly at the annoyed demon on the couch.

"Do you want to see the birth of your first born or not?" Sesshomaru growled, flexing his right hand to show off his claws.

Koga's face quickly changed from laughter to serious and stared Sesshomaru in the eye. "It's the only option you have left, you and I both know it. So why don't you just get rid of your pride and just go with it? You have less than five days before your father's will goes void, Naraku takes over the company and the control over every demon in this land."

"I don't feel that way for her! I told you that I don't fall for any woman!"

"Yet you drink yourself into a misery of alcohol because of one woman. At least swallow your pride for a while so that you can reclaim your father's title!"

"I did not drink myself into this state because of that damned woman! Got it! I just… I just don't know how to deal with her." Sesshomaru said with a sigh.

"That bothers you?"

"Of course it does! She turned me against her with one explanation, yet she has me in her hand at the same moment. My mind is reeling at how I should be dealing with her. One part of me says to leave her be and forget while another says to give her the money and go back to her. Is that normal?" He looked up at Koga, questioning his feelings.

"For someone like you, I think so." Koga answered as he picked up an empty Scotch bottle from the floor and dropped it in the trash.

Sesshomaru let out an aggravated groan and slowly pushed on his knees to stand. "The minute I give her the money, she's gonna need more. Which means she's just going to pull the same number on someone else. She's clever and lethal at her plans. Beautiful and treacherous all in one package. It's almost not worth the effort."

"I just think that she's a frightened and desperate girl on the edge of her rope."

Sesshomaru gave Koga a pitying look. He'd believed that, too, for a little while. "I'm sure she is." He moved to pick up his forgotten jacket and tie.

"Where are you going?" Koga questioned, though he already knew the answer.

"Home to change clothes. After that, I'm withdrawing fifty-five thousand from my personal account and go visit Miss Rin Nagawa."

"I thought as much." Koga murmured with a faint smile.

"Kami knows why I'm doing it!" Sesshomaru muttered under his breath as he shut the door behind him.

* * *

It wasn't until after two o'clock when Sesshomaru arrived at Rin's house. Sango answered the door with a glaring look and crossed arms. Her expression wasn't happy and full of disapproval in even seeing him again. She blocked the door frame with her small body.

"What are you doing back here? Haven't you done enough?"

"Would you tell Rin that I'm here to see her?" Sesshomaru requested in a low tone.

"She isn't here."

"What? Why not? Where'd she go?" He snapped out the questions in irritation.

"Ssh!" Sango put a finger to her lips. "You'll wake Rin's mother!" With a look behind her, Sango stepped out and shut the door behind her. "You know as well as I do that Rin wouldn't have any nerve to tell her mother that she was fired yesterday. Her mother is still under the impression that she is still working at your company! And Rin won't tell her until she can find another one."

"Then were is she?" Sesshomaru repeated.

"Out looking for a job that won't be so ruthless!" Sango snapped at the tall man. It made no difference whether how big he was compared to her small stature, she always made her point.

"Then can I wait here until she returns? I have an important offer for Miss Nagawa."

Sango eyed him for a moment before opening the door behind her. "Alright, but you are to be absolutely quiet. Mrs. Nagawa is napping and she can't be disturbed!" She ordered with an authority of a drill sergeant. Sesshomaru merely nodded to her as he entered the house.

* * *

Rin entered the house a little after three and she was more than happy to be there, as her feet were killing her. She'd spent the whole morning walking around most of the business district looking for anyplace that was hiring.

Sango waved to her from the living room and pressed a finger to her lips, indicating that her mother was resting. She quickly made her way to Rin and glanced once at the kitchen.

"You've got a visitor." She whispered.

With a puzzled expression, Rin walked into the kitchen and was welcomed by the sight of Sesshomaru sitting silently at the kitchen table, a mug of tea in his hands. He looked up at the sudden intrusion, his face stoic as usual. "Any luck in your job hunt?"

"Yes." She said automatically, blinking her eyes a few times, wondering if she was really dreaming this. When she couldn't deny it any longer, Rin walked to the counter and poured herself a cup of tea. "I found a job as a waitress in a café- better money than I was paid at the office. What're you doing here?" She jeered at her former employer.

"I need to make you an offer."

"Oh? What kind of offer?" Hope sprang alive once more in Rin's eyes. Maybe he had changed his mind.

"What would you say that I was willing to repay the money that you took for your… 'loan.'" He hesitated before the last word to emphasize it.

Rin immediately sat down across from him, her eyes scanning his face. Was this another cruel joke? "Are you really?"

"As long as you agree to my conditions, I will pay off every cent."

"What would these conditions be?" She scanned his expression, but he had a mask for his thoughts.

"In return for me paying off your… debt, you would become my wife."

"What!"

"You heard me." His mouth was slanted in an aggravated form and there was no indication of humor in his words.

Rin's heart was slamming at her chest, thundering a thousand beats a minute. Had she heard him clearly? Be his wife? He was actually proposing to her, yet his eyes were the same amber ice that she had seen since two days ago. There was no warmth in his look.

"Why-why would you want to marry me?" She questioned warily, bracing for an attack.

"I would like some return for my money that I've investing in your deficit. I can't stand the thought of you in prison, yet I can't let you run around loose. Who knows if you'll do this again." Sesshomaru stood from his chair and approached her still figure. "I'd want you to move in the house with me. I'll pay for the rest of your mother's expenses and get a nurse to live in with her. You'd stay at home while I was at work and stay with me at night." A slight flicker of a smile appeared on his face.

Rin just stared at the man who now stood before her. The proposal sounded very cold-blooded in a hot-blooded sort of way. "Do you really expect me to agree?" She managed to choke out.

"Honestly, I don't think that you have any other choice." He said boldly. "Everything would be paid off, your mother cared for. You wouldn't even have to work. All your troubles would be over."

Or were they just starting? "I... I really don't know."

"We could be wed in a matter of days and you could move in immediately. No sense in you staying here if you are to be my future bride." He talked as if she had already accepted his proposal.

"I haven't agreed that I would marry you, Sesshomaru!" she responded adamantly.

"I don't think that you'll be saying no, considering everything." He stepped back and leaned against the table. "That is unless you have someone else in mind to loan you the fifty-five thousand."

Glaring at him with hurt eyes, Rin turned away from his gaze. "No, I don't! I never did anything of the sort!"

The table scraped against the floor as he pushed away to stand once again. Grasping her arm, he spun her around to stare into his eyes. His amber eyes glittered gold searched her hazel brown orbs for the truth. "You have yet to give me an answer." He said softly, pulling her closer to himself, until she was crushed against his chest, eyes still locked on each other. "What else could you want?"

You, she thought. But she could have him if they were married. So why did she hesitate so? What was telling her to stay away from this man? She licked her dry lips once and swallowed the lump that had been growing in her throat. Unsteadily, she answered.

"Yes, I'll marry you."

* * *

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Thank you so much to all of my reviewers! I couldn't be happier to see that all of you love my story. I actually never thought that people would even like it! But PLEASE, read my other story, Let Me Out. It hasn't been reviewed and I would like some feedback on it. ANother chapter for both stories is coming soon, so be on your toes!

Thank you

cyancat (\/)


	7. What Comes of Demon Hate

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby acknowledge to all that stuff you have heard before and that you don't need to hear again since we all know it by heart. Takahashi-sama is the only one who can do that.

This is an AU fic based off the plot of an old romance novel of my mom's.

**Cyancat** (\/)

**The Captive Bride**

**Chapter Seven – What Comes of Demon Hate

* * *

**

Rin could hardly believe that she had agreed to marry Sesshomaru. She had been so swept up in the emotions of the moment, she was convinced that was the only reason why. But…she knew that she couldn't go back on her word. If she went back and said no, he'd turn her to the police without a second look. She had no choice but to go through with it.

That afternoon, as soon as she'd said yes, Sesshomaru had swept out of the house, but not before he told her two things. One was to start packing immediately because she was moving into his house the very next day and two; they would be married within two days time. Rin was incapable of speaking as she watched him leave the house with a determined attitude as his words left her in a state of shock. Two days! Why was he in such a hurry to marry her? Was he so untrusting of her that he thought he needed to capture her as soon as possible?

Sesshomaru set his car to a screeching stop at the front doors of a grey colored house. He wasted no time in slamming open the front doors and heading inside.

"Koga!" Sesshomaru called out to the wolf demon. "Where the hell are you at?"

He stood in a wood paneled hallway with a staircase before him that led to a second level. Doors were everywhere in Koga's house and he hated having to search through every one.

A door opened on the top floor by the staircase and a sleepy eyed Koga emerged, yawning his disapproval of the intrusion. "What do you want, Sesshomaru? I was sleeping."

He stretched out his arms to make the point. Letting them fall, he jumped back at the sight beside him of a red-eyed Sesshomaru.

"I need to talk with you!" He growled through clenched teeth.

"Fine, fine." Koga said while turning back to the office he had just exited. "But it had better be good."

"Oh, it's good, it's better than good." Sesshomaru divulged as he closed the door. "I asked Rin to marry me."

Koga spun around with eyes wide as saucers. "You actually asked her? You mean to say that you, Sesshomaru Sadamoto, Lord of the Demon Lands, actually asked a human woman to marry you!"

Sesshomaru scoffed at Koga's words and crossed his arms. "You told me to! You make it sound like it never could have happened! What else did you expect me to do?"

"Knowing you, I never expect anything." Koga leaned against a desk, smirking at the dog demon. "I just never thought I'd see it with my own eyes."

Sesshomaru glared at him. "Shut up, wolf. Don't get over your head in excitement. You've still got a lot of work to do."

"Me? Like what?" Koga complained, irritated that he wasn't going to be able to return to his afternoon nap. He moved around the desk he had been leaning on and sat down in the chair, leaning one elbow on the desk top. "Just what do you expect me to do?"

"You've got to call the board and tell them I'm getting married. There's also getting the marriage arrangements made for two days time. I expect it all will be done by tonight?" He instructed Koga while smiling to himself.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll have it all done." Koga slouched back. "But I'm not going to be happy about it."

"You're not the one getting married!" Sesshomaru countered. "How do you think I feel about this whole situation? I never wanted this in the first place."

Koga rolled his eyes and sat up in the chair. "Yet, here you are, announcing your engagement to Rin. It doesn't seem like you hate it as much as you say you do."

Sesshomaru glowered at the wolf demon and threw up his hands in defeat. "Whatever. I'm leaving. Just make sure everything gets done." He opened the office door and paused before stepping out. Turning his head back toward Koga, he smirked. "Oh, and call Kagura to give her the news personally. She'd just love to hear about this."

"Definitely." Koga said with an evil grin.

* * *

Kagura's shrill shrieks of anger had yet to cease as Koga dropped the phone back on its cradle. He smiled to himself at how she had reacted to the news of Sesshomaru's impending marriage. It was worth its weight in gold to hear that demon woman say anything else other than her plans to marry the reclusive Sesshomaru. It was a plan that wasn't going to work.

The door creaked as it opened and a young red-headed Ayame stepped into the den, a little skeptical as to what had just happened in that room. The long light blue dress she wore accented her bulge of six month pregnancy.

"Koga, what's wrong?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Sesshomaru just bolted out of here like his life depended on it. What did you say to him?"

"Me? Why do you always think that I'm the problem?" He countered, getting up from his seat and waking his way toward his mate. "For your information, he was here to tell me something."

"Oh, and what, pray tell, was that?" She said, the skeptical look still evident on her face.

"We may be going to a wedding very soon, my dear Ayame. Maybe you should pick out a dress for the occasion." He said with a wink.

"A wedding! That's wonderful! Who is it?" She cheered, her face filling with excitement.

"Sesshomaru."

Her face went serious for a moment as she calculated Koga's words. "You're joking."

"No, honestly, he's getting married! He finally chose someone to marry and you won't believe who it is."

"Its not Kagura, is it?" She winced. "I hate that retched woman. She reeks of death."

"No, no." Koga said with a laugh. "Far from it. Do you remember a few days ago when you picked me up to go to your parents? There was a girl there among us, and Sesshomaru chose her."

Ayame's eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped, looking like a freshly caught fish. "NO! You're not serious! He chose a human to marry? What about all those rants he had about hating women and even humans more?"

"Who knows." Koga shrugged his shoulders, he didn't know the details. "The matter is he's chosen someone finally. We have to make sure that nothing stops this marriage. You understand?"

"I know Koga." Her eyebrow twitched in agitation and she crossed her arms. "Everyone understands how important it is that Sesshomaru keeps control over the Demon Lands. I just don't believe that he'd willingly marry a human. Is there something you're not telling me?" He eyed him curiously.

"Me? Hide anything from you? Hardly!" He smiled back at his inquiring mate. "I'll have you know, he was drooling after her like a long-lost puppy the day he met her. I think he has real feelings for her."

"Really?" Ayame reached out to wrap her arms around Koga's head "You think he actually likes this human woman?"

Leaning into her small form, Koga sighed to himself. "On a few levels, yes, but he has a lot more to learn if he's going to be as happy as we are."  
Ayame jerked her head to look at Koga in the eye. "What did you do?" She said with an under toned scowl.

Koga tried to pull back only to find her grip tight around his neck. "What? I didn't do anything!" He reacted.

"Koga, you only sweet talk me when something's up or you've done something. Now, are you going to tell me or do I have to pull it out of you?" Ayame growled.

Koga sighed painfully. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

That night, Rin could only sit in the living room and wonder if she had chosen the right decision. She stared blankly at the television, her mind on everything else but it. Her mother was asleep in her room and Sango sat quietly to Rin's left, intently reading a book. Sango had insisted that she would stay at the house while Rin was getting ready to move to Sesshomaru's. It seemed more like Sango stayed for protection. It was if Sango didn't trust Sesshomaru or his actions. Rin didn't question her actions and Sango stayed.

A loud rapping at the door broke Rin out of her trance, shaking her head to clear her cluttered mind. Sango stood, waving at Rin to stay seated and headed toward the front door. A moment later, Sango returned with the visitor. Rin's eyes grew wide in surprise at who followed as it was the last person she thought to see. Rin stood to greet them.

"Hello, you're Ayame, Koga's wife, right?"

Ayame nodded with a smile, her red pigtails bobbing. "I'm glad to see that you remembered my name. Not many do."

"Thank you, but I'm confused. What are you doing here?"

"Well, that's difficult to describe." Ayame scratched her head for a moment. "You see, its part of Sesshomaru's families' tradition. The groom's best friend's wife is supposed to stay with the future bride until the marriage. Don't ask me why, it just goes that way."

Rin nodded in acknowledgement, but her mind was seeing what the real reason was. 'He probably still doesn't trust me', Rin thought. 'So he sends in a friend to watch over me until everything's final. Yeah, real nice to your future wife.'

"Well, have a seat, Ayame. I think its time that we had a talk about Sesshomaru."

* * *

Inside a dark room, Naraku sat quietly contemplating his next move. News of Sesshomaru's marriage had reached him through Kagura's wails of defeat, as she had thought Sesshomaru would choose her. He could not let this fall through his fingers. Something had to be done and quickly. Everything was so close and now, that revolting Sesshomaru was ruining everything. His whole plans were shattered, plans that had started since he had killed off Taisho himself years ago. He had been next in line to take the company and he would have had it all, but then Sesshomaru had come into the business and taken that chance away from him. It couldn't have been better planned, but then that stinking human wench, Rin, had to show up and taint Sesshomaru's mind.

Naraku's eyes narrowed as he contemplated the human woman. Where there was a will, there was a way. No one was going to stop him from taking what was rightfully his and his alone.

* * *

Rin had woken with the dawn again and she hated it. Damn her internal clock! With some regret, Rin managed to pull herself out of bed and down the hall to the kitchen. Passing through the living room, Rin noticed Ayame sleeping on the couch, curled up in a ball. A smile graced Rin's lips as she stepped into the kitchen to make some coffee, as it was going to be a long day. What with moving into Sesshomaru's house and actually having to live with him, Rin was scared out of her mind. Filling the coffee maker, Rin leaned on the counter and waited for the life-giving brown liquid to fill the pot. Staring out the kitchen window, her face saddened. It was hard enough to leave this house, the place where she grew up. But to leave her mother, it was heartbreaking. But Sesshomaru told her straight out that it wouldn't be possible for her mother to stay at his home. There were too many complications.

Jolted from her thoughts, Rin heard a pounding on the front door. Frowning at the wall clock, which read 6:30 AM, Rin made her way to see what person had the nerve to knock on her door so early in the morning.

Ayame stretched in her sleep, feeling completely comfortable for once in her life. It had been a long night as they all had talked late into the night about many things, including the men in their lives. Before Sango or Rin realized it, Ayame was out like a light on the couch, snoring softly away. Both gave each other knowing smiles and headed to bed themselves. Through the haze of her sleep,Ayame couldhear the loud knock of someone pounding on wood. Curling up her nose in disgust at the interference to her dream, which contained of only her and Koga,she sniffed lightly at the air. Her eyes flashed open in surprise as she recognized the scent. Sitting up from the couch, Ayame looked over to see Rin approaching the front door, where the persistent knocking was coming from.

"RIN! DON'T OPEN THE DOOR!" She yelled out.

Rin only waved a hand at her as she gripped the door handle. Ayame bolted from her seat on the couch, grabbing Rin's hand away from the handle. Rin turned to her, confusion on her face.

"Ayame? What's gotten into you?" Rin said, mortified at her actions.

"Rin, don't open that door! You don't know what's behind it."

"Exactly! I want him to stop pounding like that." She reached for the handle again. Ayame preceded to yank her hand away once more.

"Ayame!" Rin nearly screamed in protest. "Stop it!"

With a last amount of determination, Rin grabbed the door handle and had opened it just a fraction of an inch before Ayame could snatch her hand away.

The door blasted open and threw back the two women onto the floor. They moaned for a moment from the initial impact and then suddenly remembering their place, looked up at the assailant. Confusion filled Rin's face as a figure loomed in the doorway, his eyes menacing and glowing red. Ayame growled low in her throat at the figure, but did no more.

Taking a step into the house, the figure approached them, a haunting laugh emanating from his lips.

"Finally, I have found you, bride of Sesshomaru. And with the wolf wench as well, huh? It must be my lucky day." He said with a mocking tone.

"Bone Boomerang!"

A large white weapon flew through the house, flying straight at the looming figure. He merely reached out a hand and blew back the weapon. Rin and Ayame flinched at the contact, but Rin turned to the left to see where it came from. Her eyes grew wide as she saw Sango panting heavily and standing in the hallway, holding the weapon poised behind her.

The figure sneered at Sango. "Ah, a demon hunter as well." He snickered. "You think that you can beat me with that weapon? You must be joking."

He turned his attention back to Rin and Ayame on the floor, ignoring her on purpose. But Sango's anger was so high, she couldn't see through his trap and threw the weapon with all her might. Once again the white boomerang flew though the air, heading for the intruder. Seconds before it hit, he turned on the weapon with a smile on his face and threw back a large ball of energy. The cackling ball sucked in the boomerang and made its way toward Sango.

Sango could only watch as her own weapon was turned against her. It hit with a force that was unimaginable to recognize, throwing her against the wall and cracking her head against a cabinet door. She fell to the floor in a heap, her body unmoving.

"SANGO!" yelled Rin as she watched her friend be attacked by this horrible person.

Now that he had taken out the only hint of resistance, he turned once again to the girls, only to find Rin alone. Ayame was suddenly flying at him from the side with a high-speed kick toward his face. He put out an arm and grabbed Ayame's right leg in mid-kick. Her face changed to a state of shock and then even a deeper anger.

The assailant merely waggled his finger at Ayame and clicked his tongue at her. "Now, now. You wouldn't want to hurt yourself so early, now would you?"

Dark appendages suddenlyshot out from his body and wrapped themselves around Rin and the struggling Ayame.

"Ayame, don't!" Rin called out to her, worried more on her condition than anything else. She didn't care what was happening to her.  
Ayame looked at her in shock while still clawing at the dark forms surrounding her, but shook her head, understandingthe messageand let herself go lax. The dark forms wrapped themselves all around Rin and Ayame until only their heads were exposed.

"Good girl. We wouldn't want damaged property before the fun, now would we?" he mocked. "You better hope that you mean a lot more than you think to that insolent dog demon."

Ayame growled with vehemence at the figure. "You bastard! He's gonna kill you once he finds out what you did. Sesshomaru will never give you the title! DAMN YOU, NARAKU!"

* * *

>

>>

>>>

Sorry that this took longer than usual to write and is a bit shorter. My left arm has been giving me trouble (going numb and feeling all weird ass) and thus causing less time for me to write. I think it's a pinched nerve but no one has a solution to the problem.

I love you all so much for reviewing, but please, read and review, Let Me Out. I NEED some feedback on it. Can I say that I hold hostage the next chapter until there are a few reviews for my story? I just want a few, that's all.

Thank you again.

Cyancat (\/)


	8. Whatever You Do, Don't Die

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby acknowledge to all that stuff you have heard before and that you don't need to hear again since we all know it by heart. Takahashi-sama is the only one who can do that.

This is an AU fic based off the plot of an old romance novel of my mom's.

**Cyancat** (/)

**The Captive Bride**

**Chapter Eight – Whatever You Do, Don't Die**

Sesshomaru paced at the front door of his home, his patience wearing thin. Ayame was supposed to be there with Rin an hour ago. It wasn't like Ayame to be late, especially with such precious cargo. Looking out the window, Sesshomaru cursed under his breath and ran out the door. Something wasn't right, he could feel it.

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Koga had just exited out of Sesshomaru's home office, finishing a reassuring call with the demon priest that was to perform the marriage. The little green toad imp had been a little worried that the news he received about Sesshomaru was wrong, as he knew the dog demon's temperament and couldn't believe his little green ears.

Koga stretched out his arms, finally satisfied that everything was going down the right track. Looking down the hallway, he saw Sesshomaru stalking back and forth in front of the door, waiting for his prized package. He laughed secretly, seeing his friend in this kind of panic. Ever since they'd met, Koga had only known one side of Sesshomaru, but now that there was Rin, he was seeing more than he thought was possible.

Suddenly a red haze surrounded the dog demon and he bolted out the door, nearly tearing it off the hinges. Koga looked to the now vacated entry way, eyes questioning Sesshomaru's actions. He immediately felt a stirring at the back of his head, a stirring that there was something terribly amiss. He took no second thought on it, dashing away like Sesshomaru had and followed his lead.

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A young man tapped his finger to the fast paced beat of a new song blaring from his car radio as he blazed down the road. His head started to bop along as well and not before long he was singing along, loudly, with the lyrics. He had black hair, pulled into a small ponytail. He wore a long sleeved dark purple t-shirt with black low rise jeans and a pair of brown sandals.

Turning a corner sharply, his gaze flew to a pair of women walking down the sidewalk. The young man smiled to himself as his violet eyes traced their figures. Oh how he loved the female form and all their curves.

Looking back to the road, he had to quickly turn the wheel, diverting the car back to the street. He grumbled under his breath, annoyed with himself for getting distracted at such an important time. He had more things to think of, such as how to say, "Will you marry me?" to his girlfriend of seven months. He'd pondered on asking her this for weeks now and he was having trouble even thinking about it. Too many distractions out there, way too many.

Turning at another corner, the car slowed to a crawl as it entered a residential area. He leaned back, digging into his pants pocket to find the slip of paper his girlfriend had given him with an address. She had stayed at her boss's house for the night, for some cryptic reasons that she couldn't explain and asked for him to pick her up later on that day.

Staring at the wrinkled paper, he looked to the row of houses on the specified street. His eyes squinted to see the house numbers, looking for the one marked 500. It wasn't until he was down to the end of the lane and ready to turn around that he saw something that made his heart jump. The brick house at the end of the road was surrounded by trees and hidden away from most eyes. The front door had been blown away, bricks and wood lying all over the front lawn. The front door itself was in pieces, still hanging on its hinges.

Bolting out of his car, the young man ran through the debris and up the stone steps. His heart nearly pounding its way through his chest, he feared the worst had happened to his beloved Sango.

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Sango groaned in pain as she sat up. Putting a hand to the back of her head, she felt the sticky wetness of blood clotted on her hand.

'Damn it!' she groaned to herself, 'How could I have been so foolish! Letting that bastard get the better of my anger.'

Slowly she tried to stand, her legs struggling to regain their strength. Grimacing as a freshly opened cut on her leg started pouring blood, Sango looked around the broken kitchen. Thinking the worst had happened, in a moment her fears were settled and escalated. There was no sign of Rin or Ayame. Naraku had taken them both away.

'They're safe for now.' She thought to herself, 'Only for now, though.'

Suddenly her eyes widened as she remembered something. Hikaru! Sango struggled to get up and down the hall to her room. Gods, let her be alright, she pleaded as she neared the door. Slamming it open, she sighed in relief at the one good thing that had happened. She was still asleep, the heart monitor beeping out a continuous heart rhythm. She remembered giving a sedative to Rin's mother so that she could rest easily for one night. It was something to kill the pain that was growing more every day. Sango hated to do it, but it was all she could do. Now Sango was thankful that she had. If the old woman had heard what was going on or Naraku had even thought to attack her, she wouldn't be able to live with herself.

But by the looks of it, the happenings of that morning hadn't spurred the old woman from her sleep. Sango closed the door and pulled herself down the hall, stumbling into the bathroom. She needed to treat her wounds before anything else happened.

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Sango had just finished cleaning what she could of the blood from her wounds, bandages scrapped from towels. A car screeching to a halt rang in her ears and then footsteps running to the house, followed by a familiar voice.

"Sango! Where are you? Sango!" called the urgent male voice.

Her eyes widened in surprise and recollection. She'd totally forgotten that he was coming. Gods, what if he had come any earlier?

"Miroku! I'm back here!" she called back, forcing herself to stand up, but her leg gave out and she fell back to the floor.

Hearing her voice call out, Miroku bolted down the hallway, where her voice had emanated from. Skidding to a stop at the very last door, he couldn't believe his eyes. His beloved Sango was covered in scrapes and burns, pieces of towel wrapped around her leg and head.

"Sango! What happened to you?" Miroku said while kneeling down beside her, scrutinizing her wounds.

Sango stared in surprise at the man beside her. Was this the same Miroku she'd known before? Why was he acting so worried over her? Remembering his question, Sango shook her head to clear her mind. "We were attacked. And I was stupid enough to get caught off guard." Sango tried to stand again, but Miroku pushed her back down.

"You're not getting up. You've been injured." He looked around for a phone, they needed to get her to a hospital.

"Miroku, I'm fine! It's just a few cuts and bruises. Nothing to worry about." Sango countered, shoving him out of her way. She quickly rose up on her injured leg and was able to stand for a moment, but again her leg gave out. Though this time, a pair of strong arms was there to catch her.

Miroku lifted her up and cradled her close to his chest. "You're fine, huh?" He smirked at her. "You never change do you?"

Sango blushed at the close contact and turned her head away. "I-I don't know what you're talking about. Now, let me down, Miroku. I have to contact someone."

His grip tightened. "Contact someone? Not now, because I'm taking you to the hospital."

Miroku strode off down the hallway and toward the broken front door.

"Hey! Stop it, Miroku!" Sango yelled at him, struggling to get out of his grip. "If you don't stop now and put me down, I'll hate you forever!"

Miroku stopped in mid-stride in what used to be the kitchen and did as commanded, letting Sango step onto the floor. He kept an arm around her, making up for her injured leg.

"Thanks." She replied coldly, flashing an angry glare at Miroku, but at seeing the hurt look on his face, she softened. "Look, I don't need a doctor. I'm fine, really. But I need to stay here. Rin's mother needs to be cared for and after what happened this morning, I just can't leave!"

Miroku looked around the devastation surrounding them, noting the large bone boomerang weapon lodged into the wood of the cupboards.

"What exactly did happen this morning, Sango?" He commented while looking over the destruction.

Sango paused, trying the find the best words to explain the situation to Miroku. He didn't even know about her being a demon hunter, much less know there were any demons around. How could she tell him that it was a demon that had done all of this?

"It's hard to explain, Miroku."

"Then you'd better start talking!" Growled a low voice from behind her.

Whipping her head around to look, Sango saw Sesshomaru in a startling state, with a red glow surrounding his body and his eyes flaring blood red. His lips were pulled back into a permanent snarl and he bared his canine fangs. "Where is she!" He snapped.

Miroku pushed Sango behind him, spreading his arms in a protective stance. "What business do you have here?" He yelled at the dog demon.

"My business is none of your concern, human." He spat out at Miroku, his eyes switching to Sango. "Demon Hunter, where is Rin!"

Miroku was about to yell again at Sesshomaru, but he was interrupted by Sango. "She was taken, Sesshomaru. Naraku took her."

"What!" Sesshomaru felt a surge of fury take over him. "How was this possible!"

"It was early morning when he attacked. As soon as Rin had the door open, he attacked us. I tried my best to fight him, but he got the better of my anger and attacked me with my own weapon. When I woke up, he had taken Rin and Ayame."

"Ayame?" said a surprised voice from behind Sesshomaru. Sango looked on as the wolf demon stepped out from behind the looming figure, his eyes wide in fear. "What did you say about Ayame?"

Sango sighed regretfully, lowering her eyes. "She's gone. I'm sorry, but I couldn't stop him." When she looked up, she jumped back at the instant change that had taken over Koga.

The once conserved wolf demon now loomed with a dark glow around him, eyes malevolent with an icy blue, with fangs and claws grown instantly an inch longer. He slowly turned toward Sesshomaru. "What are we waiting for?" he said through clenched teeth.

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The wind blew with a mighty effort, shaking trees and rattling houses. Kagome pulled her jacket closer around her, trying to rid herself of the chill of the afternoon. It wasn't like a spring day to be like this and she hated having to walk all the way to Inuyasha's house in this weather. Kagome suddenly stopped, feeling a dark presence coming her way, the immense youki emanating like a radiator. Her eyes scanned the area, looking for the owner of the dark presence. Oh, how she wished she had brought her bow with her. It was not a good time to be defenseless.

Suddenly dark forms were grabbing her feet and pulling her down into an immense black hole. She screamed out for help, but no one was there to hear, just the wind. Just before she was pulled all the way under, she screamed out one last word.

"INUYASHA!"

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Inuyasha's head jerked at the sudden feeling of unease that he felt. He looked around his room, wondering what it was that caused his discomfort. Finding nothing in his room, he walked out to the hallway and down the staircase. Stepping outside, he sniffed the air, looking for a reason why he felt so unnerved. Still he found nothing to quiet his anxious mind. Stepping back inside, he started back for his room, but was stopped by the sound of the doorbell. What the hell? He had just been outside and he didn't see anyone. Returning to the door and opening it, he found a little girl standing there, her clothes and skin all the same shade of pale white. She held a mirror in her hands and stared blankly into nothingness.

"What do you want?" Inuyasha snarled at her. This girl was unnerving.

"Do you want her back?" The little girl whispered.

"Do I want who back?" Inuyasha snapped back.

"The girl. The girl that is closest to your heart. Do you want her?"

Inuyasha's eyes widened in shock. Was she speaking of Kagome?

"This girl," The mirror cleared from its blank image and displayed a picture of an unconscious Kagome, surrounded in a purple haze. Seeing her image, Inuyasha let a low growl emanate from his throat. "This girl will be waiting for you. If you want her back, you must bring the older one and the wolf."

Inuyasha blinked, registering her words. The older one and the wolf? Did she mean Sesshomaru and Koga?

"You must bring them if you want the girl back. If she is to survive."

Inuyasha tensed at her last words, not wanting to hear another word. He slashed out with a claw, but her image faded as quickly as she had arrived, leaving the hanyo confused and alone in the doorway.

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It didn't take much time for Inuyasha to take off running down the road, finding Sesshomaru's scent and following it through the streets of Tokyo. When he finally tracked down his brother, he found a house with its front door in shambles. Confused, he slowly entered the house, wary of anything that could happen. Looking around, he saw a young woman around Kagome's age sitting in a chair, being tended to by a man of the same age. What might have used to be the kitchen was in complete ruins and there was debris everywhere.

"What are you doing here, Inuyasha?" Growled the menacing tone of his older brother.

Inuyasha looked in the direction of his voice and found Sesshomaru and Koga conferring in a corner of the home, both had malevolent auras surrounding them with a deep fury that was fueled by a deep anger.

"I don't have time for your shit today, Sesshomaru! Something weird is happening."

"Obviously, because they're here." Sesshomaru stated, staring past his hanyo brother to the doorway.

Inuyasha whipped around to look behind him and saw the white girl once again, yet now a tall woman with black hair pulled into a bun, standing beside her.

"Kagura." Sesshomaru and Koga both growled at once.

At the mention of her name, Kagura laughed haughtily and stepped past the white girl.

"Glad to see that you remember me, Sesshomaru. I come to give you one last chance."

"And what chance may that be, damn wench."  
"You have one last choice. Choose me to be your wife and we will let the women go free, all three of them."

Inuyasha's ears perked at her words. Three women? Who were the other two?

"What makes you think that I'd choose you?"

"If you do not, their blood will be on your hands. We will kill them, unless that is if you have any second thoughts." Kagura smiled evilly at the dog demon, knowing she was irking him on just as she wanted.

Sesshomaru glared at Kagura, his anger rising with every second. He burst from his place and letting a long green whip emanate from his finger tips, lashed out at Kagura's form. She merely dodged, jumping back behind the white girl. The mirror she held deflected any of the whips attacks. Finally Sesshomaru stopped as he realized it was fruitless. Kagura laughed once more, but turned her head to the side, letting out a fake sigh of disdain.

"I see that you won't change your mind then, Sesshomaru. Too bad, we could have had fun together." She laughed once more before throwing out a feather from the bun in her hair. As she floated up, she called out to the white girl. "Kanna, return quickly!" And with that she was gone.

All looked from the sky where Kagura vanished to the little girl called Kanna on the front doorstep.

"Are you going to fight us?" Inuyasha yelled at her, ready to strike out.

"This one does not fight, this one only speaks in words." Kanna whispered out. "This one does not want to fight."

"Then you've come to the wrong place." Inuyasha snarled and launched himself to attack. Sesshomaru caught him by the scruff of his shirt and threw him back.

"Stop acting without thinking Inuyasha. That is your main fault." Sesshomaru turned his gaze to Kanna. "What do you want?"

"To save the women that hold your hearts, you must go to the home that no human dares enter. This one does not want to hurt the women you hold close, this one only obeys."

"You wouldn't be leading us into a trap would you?" Sesshomaru questioned.

"This one believes that what he wants is not right, but one can not leave when one is a servant. To destroy the evil, a wolf and two dogs must work together."

And with her last words whispering into the humid air, she vanished.

The group looked to each other after she vanished, wondering what had just happened.

"You think she's telling the truth?" Sango commented, flinching at Miroku wrapping her leg too tight until she felt a hand upon her ass, rubbing up and down. Nearly snarling herself, Sango lashed out with a "SLAP!" that imprinted her finger prints into Miroku's face. "Unreasonable man." She growled under her breath as he fell to the floor, unconscious.

Rolling his eyes at the human show of affection, Sesshomaru turned away and pondered the Kanna's words. 'Go to the home that no human dares enter?' She must have meant the demon assembly house. It was so dark and intimidating that no one else dared enter the place but demons themselves.

"Koga, I'm leaving. You coming?" Sesshomaru called out as he turned and walked toward the front of the house.

"Yeah, I'm coming." Koga replied with a laughing snarl and started following his friend.

The two had only taken a few steps before a hanyo's voice interrupted them.

"Where in the seven hells do you guys think you're going without me!" Inuyasha yelled while walking up behind the pair of demons. "I am not getting left behind when Kagome's been taken!"

Sesshomaru looked to Koga once before looking over his shoulder at Inuyasha. "Fine, come if you want, just don't get in my way."

Turning back to the road outside, both demons sped off like racing cars, leaving Inuyasha sputtering his complaints at them while he took off running as well, following their scent. This left Sango sitting alone in her chair, her arms crossed angrily and she kicked the unconscious Miroku with her good leg.

When the trio arrived at the Demon Assembly House, it was evident that Naraku lurked inside. He had a barrier of evil youki barring anything from entering. Not even flinching at the immense power shown before him, Sesshomaru sliced into the barrier with his claws and broke away a sizeable amount to let them walk through.

The house itself was huge, big enough to accommodate most of the demon public within Tokyo city and more. Three immense roman columns stood at the front door, holding up a huge overhanging roof. Nearing the building, Inuyasha nearly bolted ahead of the pair when he saw what was strapped to the columns. Each column held up the figure of a young woman, two human and one demon. Kagome, Ayame, and a woman that Inuyasha didn't recognize were in a state of deep sleep, curled into the fetal position and surrounded by the same evil dark barrier that had surrounded the house.

Sesshomaru had to hold himself back as he saw Rin there, floating in the evil barrier, looking so helpless and unknowing of what might come. It fueled his anger even more to see Naraku leisurely sitting on the steps to the house, awaiting their appearance. Naraku looked smug with the way he had made this predicament and Sesshomaru wanted to literally bite his head off for it.

"Naraku!" he called out, "We're here like you wanted. Are you ready to fight?"

"Always ready to fight, aren't you Sesshomaru? No wonder you're the Killing Life Circle. All life dies when it's around you." Naraku chuckled.

"I said, are you ready to fight! I will not waste time speaking meaningless dribble with the likes of you. Either you give up those women or you will die by my hand!" Sesshomaru flexed a claw in front of him to make a point. "And be assured that it won't be a short death!"

"Let's see how you do in real combat!" Naraku yelled and launched himself into the air, his form disappearing within the dark clouds.

Inuyasha and Koga looked around, searching for where he could have gone. Sesshomaru stared straight ahead, unperturbed by Naraku's actions. Inuyasha's and Koga's noses caught a scent at the same time and leapt away from where they stood. A huge ball of energy dropped down on the exact same spot where they had just stood. Dust and smoke rose from the pit the ball of energy had created. It slowly filtered around Sesshomaru's solid form, he hadn't even moved an inch.

Sesshomaru sneered. "As if you could do any better!"

Like a shot of lightning, Sesshomaru was gone and advancing his way toward Naraku. It took only a second before he stood next to the demon, who just merely smiled. The two lashed out at each other, ducking and dodging the attacks. Movement between the two was so fast, it was even hard for Inuyasha and Koga to watch where they went.

"Do you really think that I would hand over the title to you?" Sesshomaru glowered as he sliced his claws in front of Naraku's face, missing by mere centimeters.

Naraku jumped back, rebounding until he was yards away from Sesshomaru. "At first, no. But then," Naraku paused and held his right hand, palm up, above him until a small ball of energy formed over it. "Then I got this lovely little morsel and I knew you'd have no choice!"

He slowly brought his fingers together, making a fist. The ball of energy started to shrink and Sesshomaru stared at Naraku, questioning what was happening. But then there were shrieks of pain and Sesshomaru's eyes flew to their source. The dark haze balls that surrounded Rin, Kagome's and Ayame's unconscious form were shrinking, evoking pain upon their unmoving forms, yet their screams of agony showed they were still alive.

"Now, what will you do, son of the great Inu-Taisho? Will you let these women die for the sake of your heritage? Two human women and a wolf female? Or do you want them alive? Come now, time is wasting. There isn't much life left in those little bodies of theirs. What will it be? Give me the title or let the women die!" Naraku squeezed his fingers again, evoking another scream from the three women's lips.

Koga and Inuyasha rushed to Sesshomaru's side, seeing the women in trouble. They would have attacked Naraku had Sesshomaru not put out an arm to stop them.

"This is my fight." Sesshomaru stated as he lowered his arm, never taking his eyes off of Naraku. "Don't interfere. Just get the girls away when you can."

Koga looked to Sesshomaru, ready to voice is disapproval of the decision, but stopped. He had seen Sesshomaru's eyes and understood instantly. Usually when he was on the danger level of going chaotic his eyes turned red, but now they were purple. That was bad, very bad.

Motioning to Inuyasha, the two took off for the opposite end of the house and away from Sesshomaru. Koga knew what was coming. Inuyasha wouldn't know as he wasn't even around then, but Koga could remember the moment clearly. That fateful day was the day his birth mother died and it had hit Sesshomaru hard. Hard enough that he gave up liking the opposite sex and started hating every woman that came his way. Out of grief and pain, Sesshomaru had let out the feral demon inside of him, something that was unbeatable and unmatched. Until Sesshomaru's father had actually knocked him out, Sesshomaru had torn around the countryside, destroying anything in his way. Koga had seen those same purple eyes just as he had just seen them now. It was not a good time to be next to the dog demon, be you friend or foe.

Sesshomaru stared at the prone form of Rin as she hung idly in the air, dark youki surrounding her. What had he done? The one time he actually got close to a woman and already she was made a weakness to his title and heritage. Maybe it would have been better to have pushed Rin out of his mind and chose Kagura as his wife… no, no it would never have been better to have that bitch as a mate. He took a deep breath, knowing what he had to do next. He just hoped Koga could change him back. Closing his eyes, he pictured Rin in his mind and said, "Whatever you do, don't die!"

A hurtling charge of wind suddenly encircled Sesshomaru, his whole body seething with an immense power and rage. Naraku lowered his hand and lowered his gaze, readying himself for the final blows that Sesshomaru would make.

The next second, the ground exploded between the two demons, spraying debris and dirt everywhere. Sesshomaru moved like lightning, striking once and stepping back, never attacking from the same place twice. Naraku, while too self-absorbed in his apparent victory, never thought that this could be provoked from the dog demon. This creature attacking him was cool and collected, words talking no affect on him whatsoever, nothing like the Sesshomaru he had known. As Naraku dodged one attack, two were made in its place. His eyes widened in realization as he was beginning to see the reality in the outcome of this fight.

Cursing to himself, Naraku felt his power surrounding the girls die out. With every strike, his power was dwindling and Naraku knew it wasn't going to be long before Sesshomaru would finish him. Evading one strike after another, Naraku summed up the rest of his powers. Converging inside a massive black ball of youki, Naraku blasted his way out of the fight and disappeared into the sky. Sesshomaru roared his rage at the cowardly Naraku as he made his hasty retreat.

While Sesshomaru and Naraku had fought, Koga and Inuyasha had been trying to figure out how to get the women out of their bonds, but were suddenly granted their wish as the barrier bonds failed and dropped the lifeless women. Inuyasha, seeing Kagome's body fall, dove like a baseball player to catch her comatose form. Koga leaped up to catch the body of Ayame, while catching Rin's body seconds after. Settling them both against a column, Koga turned to stare at his friend, still in his feral form, tearing apart the assembly grounds and throwing power bursts in every direction. Now how the hell was he supposed to get him out of this?

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Hello All!

Gods, I have to say that I love you all for your continued support! Even the people who chastised my arm for hurting me so, I enjoy reading your reviews everyday! It makes me so happy that my work gives you enjoyment. I actually think that with me learning Tae Kwon Do, its getting better, oddly enough.

Did you enjoy the introduction of Miroku? I hadn't thought of adding him, but since I did mention him, I thought, "What the heck?"

For those interested, I am currently trying to get my current AMV's uploaded to animemusicvideos dot org.

If you would like to see them, please go there and download them.

My username is 'cyancat', same as here. Just search for my name if you don't have an account, but it is free to have one!

I have currently AMV's of Hellsing, Dragon Half, Ah! My Goddess The Movie, and Inuyasha.

Please tell me what you think, as no one else other than my friends have seen these and I would like to know the public opinion.

But I only have one video up currently and it's on the Chrono Cross game and the animation sequences, so if you liked the game, go get it!

Hopefully the rest will be coming soon.

Also, I was planning on writing a lemon for this story, but on the consequences of how FanFiction doesn't like that sort of thing, it will be on another site. If you are old enough and want to read it, you can go and read it, but do not blame me for something you might not want to see or if you get in trouble for it. I will post the link when it's finished and up on the site.

And when I stated that I wanted reviews, it was kind of for my other story "Let Me Out", not this one as you guys are already very generous with reviews, especially Ever Rin with 11 in one day. Just don't let that stop you from reviewing; I love to read them all!

Thank you for your support and hopefully Ch.9 will be coming soon.

Cyancat (/)


	9. Somehow You Changed Me

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby acknowledge to all that stuff you have heard before and that you don't need to hear again since we all know it by heart. Takahashi-sama is the only one who can do that.

This is an AU fic based off the plot of an old romance novel of my mom's.

**Cyancat** (/)

**Note:**

**This is not the full chapter. I just felt so bad in not updating (reasons below) that I decided to give you a bit of a sneek peek as I guess you could say. I am trying my hardest to write this to teh very end so please stick with me!**

Note 2:

If anyone was confused by my wording of Sesshomaru's feral state, let me explain. It wasn't his dog demon form as that is his original demon form. This feral state is something that I got the idea off of rabid animals. It's the way rabid animals act when in that state, going down to a pure animal instinct, snarling and foaming at the mouth. They're suddenly wild again even though they used to be house pets. Look at Benji. It shows that there is a part of them that is beyond any reason or concern of nature. Nothing is of consequence but themselves. Anyway, I thought that some demons could have that kind of state, depending on how it emerges in their lives.

* * *

**The Captive Bride**

**Chapter Nine – Somehow You Changed Me**

"Sesshomaru."

The young dog demon stepped forward, nearing the crimson silk sheet covered bed. Lying between the covers lay a beautiful demon woman. Her hair was lavender and its long lengths covered the sheets. The purple markings upon her wrists and face were faded in contrast to the pale cream color of her skin. She breathed in labored gasps, taking time to fill her lungs completely. Her body was wrapped in a green bed dress, plastered with sweat to her thin frame. She reached out a hand and beckoned for his. Slowly Sesshomaru raised his hand and took her hand in his own. He lifted his golden eyes to stare into her shining blue orbs.

"My son, my magnificent son." She uttered with a raspy voice. "I can not stay by your side anymore. My wounds from the battle have overtaken my body." A spasm of coughs interrupted her words. Wiping her mouth with a cloth, blood appeared on the white fabric.

"Sesshomaru, you, the son of a dog demon and a poison demon, will be the most powerful Lord this land will ever see. I am sure of it. Your genes flow with infinite power."

He shook his head. "Mother, this Sesshomaru couldn't be what you say. Father is more powerful than I will ever be. Father will be Lord forever."

"NO!" She tightened her grip around his hand. "Do not doubt your blood! You ARE powerful! One day, even your father will fall to the blade of the grim reaper. When that time comes, you will be able to take the position as Lord over these lands. But you must first learn how to hold that power or you will never succeed."

He lowered his eyes, angered by her choice of words. He stepped back, throwing away her hand. "I do not want this power! I couldn't help you in battle and I can't help you here! What good is power like mine if I can't use it to my will?"

Sesshomaru's mother stared after the angered form of her young son in pity. He knew so little of life and how quickly existence could be taken away. Maybe someday he could be changed for the better; maybe someone could change him.

"Sesshomaru," She whispered through drying lips. "You would not have been able to protect me even if you had been there. I have lived my life to the fullest. Make sure that you take every opportunity available in your life, because you may not get another chance. Remember my son, I will always watch over you."

With that, she fell back against her pillow, allowing her last breath to escape her body. In seconds, Sesshomaru knew that she was dead. He slowly turned away from the body of his departed mother and exited the room, silently making his way down the corridor. If he had passed his father in the hall, he did not notice. There was a great pain burning in his chest that needed to be let out. Making his way through the house, Sesshomaru ended up in the back gardens. He stopped in the middle of a path and stared silently ahead.

A young wolf demon skidded to a stop in front of Sesshomaru, his high ponytail of black hair flying against his face. A young female wolf demon with red bouncy pigtails slammed into his back, unaware of his sudden ending to the run.

The young wolf gazed at the dog's face, unnerved by his emotionless façade. "Sess. How's she doin'?" He questioned, hoping for the better side of news.

"Koga!" Chastised the red head behind him who was pinching his face. "You know you're not supposed to talk about Lady Misaki!"

"She's dead." Came the flat response from Sesshomaru.

The wolves stopped their fight and turned back to stare at Sesshomaru. The news shocked them far more than they had expected.

"Gods, Sess. I…I don't know what to say." Koga's words drifted off and his eyes widened as he stared at Sesshomaru's face.

Slowly the amber ice that used to be Sesshomaru's eyes were changing their color, developing from into deep red and then an intense dark purple. Koga took a step back, grabbing Ayame's shoulders to pull her back as well. Whatever was happening to Sesshomaru, it wasn't going to have a good outcome.

Throwing his head back unexpectedly, Sesshomaru let out a loud howl that could only be explained by his hidden grief. Slowly his head rolled back forward and he met eyes with Koga and Ayame once more. Both wolves took an automatic step back, the look from Sesshomaru saying everything. Without another second, Sesshomaru had rocketed out of the gardens and into the lush countryside that surrounded the dog demon home.

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Pain rolled through Rin's head like a steam train on the express lane. She groaned, voicing her dislike of the unbearable throbbing. Leaning forward, she placed her head in her hands and breathed deep. All of a sudden, a loud animalistic roar filled the air, rumbling deep through her headache. Snapping her head up at the sound, Rin's eyes widened and all the memories of the attack came flowing back. But it wasn't the details of the attack that stunned Rin, it was the scene happening before her.

Her eyes couldn't believe it was Sesshomaru, it was nothing like she had seen him before. With a dark and obvious aura surrounding him, Sesshomaru was tearing round the grounds, chasing after Koga, who ducked and dodged the attacks. His silver hair was wild with the forceful twisting air surrounding him. Eyes brazen with an unnatural color, he appeared to act like a wild animal, attacking anything that moved.

Turning her head away from the fight, she noticed Ayame and Kagome both unconscious, leaning against a tall white pillar. Slowly she stood, wincing at a pain that ran up her back. Forcing herself up, the calamity unfolded before her eyes once more. Her mind surveying the battle, a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Don't even think about it."

Twisting to find the owner of the voice, Rin found the eyes of a younger man with long white silver hair and a pair of dog ears upon his head. He wore a dark red t-shirt and tan cargo pants. "I wasn't thinking anything, I'll have you know. I'm just a bit confused, that's all."

"I'm sure you are. Not many humans get to see a show like this. But like I said, don't even think about interfering. "

"Humans?" Her eyes drifted up toward his twitching ears. "You're not human, are you?"

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Inuyasha commented sarcastically. His gaze turned back toward Sesshomaru and Koga, sighing heavily. "Look, we're not human. Sesshomaru, Koga, and Ayame are full blooded demons. I'm half human and demon, that why I have the ears. I'm surprised Sesshomaru hasn't told you any of this. Though, now he's the problem. If we don't do something quick, we may have a bigger crisis on our hands. Somehow we have to change him back to normal."

"Change him back?" Rin asked looking back at the scene and then to Inuyasha's face. "What did he do?"

"What did he do?" Inuyasha scoffed, "He saved your butt, that's what! He resorted to letting out his feral side. Now that he scared Naraku off, we have to figure out a way to transform him back." He crossed his arms, annoyed at the situation. "Koga's having a grand time trying though."

Rin followed Inuyasha's gaze and watched Koga maneuver between Sesshomaru's attacks. They both moved like lightning and she only caught glimpses of the attacks as they slowed down. Suddenly Koga was blown back, hurtling his body through a fence and skidding across the ground. Sesshomaru stopped attacking, letting the air around him settle. He glared at the prone form of his opponent, daring him to get up.

"Koga!" Yelled Rin, her muscles tensing at the danger posed upon him.

"Damn wolf! Looks like I'll have to take on Sesshomaru next." Inuyasha growled, scowling at his brother. He was just about to run in and start the attack again, but a movement beside him diverted his attention. "Shit! RIN! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" He yelled at her running form, making tracks toward Sesshomaru and Koga.

Rin looked over her shoulder, but didn't respond to Inuyasha's question. Instead, she was intent on reaching Sesshomaru before anything else happened.

It wasn't a but a few seconds that she was at Koga's side, ignoring the fact that Sesshomaru was glaring her down. She stood defensively toward the looming figure of her future husband, arms outstretched in protection.

"Sesshomaru! Stop it!" She pleaded with him, taking slow steps forward. "You can stop this! You don't need to be in this form anymore! Koga isn't the enemy, he's your friend!"

Her words passed by Sesshomaru's ears, unheeded. The wind started to stir around him once more, tossing around his silver hair wildly. Rin stopped walking and swallowed the lump of fear that was growing in her throat. If he had attacked Koga, then he could attack her just as well. What was she thinking, running out here?

"Sesshomaru, please snap out of it! Can't you see who I am? Can't you see my face? Don't you know what you're doing?" The courage gathering in Rin, she started taking bold steps once more toward Sesshomaru's form. "Look at me! I'm fine and so is everyone else! You've done your job! Wake up and look around! Naraku is gone!"

She stopped a few feet just short of touching Sesshomaru. Rin noticed that she had to be touching something inside that dark exterior, because he had yet to even attack her.

"I don't know what you're going through and I can't imagine what its like, but you have to come out. If you loose yourself, I can't forgive you. Sesshomaru!"

Abruptly Sesshomaru's arm shot out, grabbing Rin around the neck and began strangling the girl, his grip tightening every second. Rin gasped at the sudden shot of pain that ran through her body. Her eyes searched the purple orbs that glowered down upon her, trying to find any sign of the man she used to know. She struggled to fight against the hand that grew tight around her throat, already her mind starting to fade. Gasping for one last lungful of air, she let out the only words that passed through her mind, "Just remember who you are."

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"If you loose yourself, I can't forgive you."

Those words rang though his head over and over. His hand, gripping the thin throat of Rin, struggled to release its grasp, but the anger he held within fought against it, telling him to Kill, Kill, KILL! The words dove deep inside Sesshomaru, rekindling the anger that had almost died. His grip tightened once more around the frail throat, threatening to snap it like a twig. He felt the struggle of her against his grip, using up the last bit of her energy. He smiled wickedly to himself, feeling her life drain away like color from a painting.

There was a sharp intake of breath as she took her last breath. Almost to the end, a voice shattered the barrier to his mind. "Just remember who you are."

It reverberated like an echo. The anger that was fueled so deeply died instantly and the dark light he saw began to vanish. Sesshomaru blinked his eyes, returning to the reality of the outside world. He then saw Rin's throat caught in his deadly grasp and immediately opened his hand, dropping her like a hot plate. Landing on the ground, Rin coughed and wheezed, filling her lungs with the air she needed so badly.

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The events that happened only yesterday remained fresh in everyone's minds. After Sesshomaru had awaked from his feral state, it had been hard for him to even look at Rin. She had to hate him by now since he nearly took her life without a flicker of emotion. He vividly remembered the calling of hate that flashed through his mind, seeing her frailty breaking under his grip.

Standing out on the balcony of his bedroom, Sesshomaru stared out into the open space that surrounded the mansion, a grimacing frown upon his lips. Was everything really worth all of the effort he had put into it?

A light knocking interrupted his thoughts and he turned to see Koga in a suit entering the bedroom. The neatly dressed wolf walked with a slight limp, another constant reminder to Sesshomaru of what he had almost done.

"You ready, Sess?" Koga questioned, stopping beside him on the balcony.

Sesshomaru sighed lightly. "Yeah, I guess. I mean I asked her to do this, might as well get it over with!" He said gruffly, spinning on a heel and headed into the walk-in closet.

Koga watched with laughter in his eyes as the dog-demon rapidly changed clothes and then stepped out, garbed in a dark blue suit.

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Hello!

Thank you all for your continued support. WOW! Over 100 reviews! I've never been happier or prouder!

Sorry for the long time in posting, but there was so much going on here along with the holiday, I couldn't get to the computer. And then my mom's computer had to go wacko and she took over my computer so she could do her school work. I didn't get to be on it for five days!

And since I have been pushing myself to keep writing, I think I was also pushing myself to the brink of something else. That lovely mind disease called writer's block. I mean, the stuff I was writing, it was pure crap! Nothing of the caliber I had here. So, I gave myself sometime to rest. Also, I had to rethink some of the plots for this story as it was starting to turn toward an ending that I didn't intentionally want it to go. So I had to stop and think what I was writing was where I needed to go. Sorry for not informing you, but I hope that this chapter and the next makes up for it.

Thank you for your time and devotion to my story!

Lindsay

Cyancat (\/)


	10. A Long To Do About Nothing

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby acknowledge to all that stuff you have heard before and that you don't need to hear again since we all know it by heart. Takahashi-sama is the only one who can do that.

This is an AU fic based off the plot of an old romance novel of my mom's.

**Cyancat** (/)

Hello to all my readers.

I just wanted to say to everyone here that I am still with the game. I am so sorry that it has been so long since my last post, yes over a month and I hate that, but writer's block evaded my mind and I couldn't knock it out. I am also trying very hard to suddenly deal with online classes that are very demanding. A lot of learning animation and a lot of drawing for it.

Please just hold on a little longer and I promise that there will be another chapter up with in a week or two, instead of my now longer than usual stints!

Again I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your patience.

**The Captive Bride**

**Chapter Ten – A Long To Do About Nothing**

Rin sighed heavily as she stared into the mirror. Sango stood behind her, brushing her hair in even strokes and even humming a little. They were inside the room Rin has first used those few days ago with Rin sitting at the dresser. A long white wedding dress lay on the bed, still covered in its protective clear wrapping.

Lulled by Sango's humming, Rin thought back to what had happened just yesterday. It hadn't really been the best day of her life; kidnapped by a lunatic, used as a hostage, almost killed by your fiancé, shoved into a world that you never knew existed. Did every girl have this much trouble before she was married?

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Yesterday, it had been a nightmare come to life. When they had returned to their home, Rin was grief stricken at the sight. The front of their home was blasted away, like a hurricane had torn it right off. Remembering who was still inside, Rin bolted toward the house looking for her mother. Maneuvering through the debris, Rin ran through the house until she reached her mother's room. Opening the door, her eyes widened in surprise. Sango and a man were there reading out loud to her mother, who was evidently enjoying the pair bicker about how the book was supposed to be read. Three pairs of eyes turned to look upon the intruder, but when Rin locked eyes with Sango, the young woman leapt from her chair and grappled her in a tight hug.

After some reassuring words and a few promises, Rin explained what had happened with Naraku and Sesshomaru. She left out the information that he had nearly strangled her though, no need to worry them more.

Returning to the front of the house, Rin found Sesshomaru and Koga staring at the house, studying as if they were formulating a plan. She later learned that Sesshomaru had a 'quick fix' company coming to repair the house before there were any questions about its destruction. Also they had hired a live-in nursing complex to take in her mother, so there would be no burden for the care of her mother.

&&&&&&

Now Rin sat silently, staring at herself as the brush was pulled through her ebony hair. She blankly gazed into her own brown eyes, wondering if this was all just a dream…a very distorted and weird dream. The brush stopped pulling through her hair and Sango sat down on the bench beside her.

"Alright. What's wrong?" Sango plopped the brush down on the counter top.

Rin paused, peering at Sango before replying. "Wrong? There's nothing wrong."

Sango rolled her eyes and leaned back against the dresser. "Right. You're grumpy, unresponsive, and not at all what a blushing bride is supposed to look like on her wedding day. Granted it is the day after you were kidnapped by your husband-to-be's nemesis and used as a hostage, but you did say yes."

"Sango…you aren't the one being forced into marriage like this. I still don't know if I'm doing the right thing."

"Look, with everything that's happened, you didn't run away, you stayed and even put your life on the line. That's one reason why this will work out. Not many women out there would stay in the same house of a demon, much less marry him."

"Okay, okay I get it." Rin stared into the mirror for a moment before turning back to Sango. "That reminds me, why didn't you tell me that you were a demon hunter?"

Sango paled at the question and her mouth hung open like a gaping fish. "I…I…I don't know." She stumbled. "I never thought it would come up… Life as a demon hunter isn't seen well to the public. Because most people don't believe in demons, the tradition that has been in my family for years has become a laughing stock of the country. We chose to hide our true identity to the outside world because it was no longer welcome. But I really am a certified nurse! Being a demon hunter is only part of my life, nursing is another. Believe me when I say that I never thought that something like this would happen." Sango sighed. "But I guess everything I thought was wrong."

The room sat stagnant as both women reflected on the conversation. Suddenly a rapping knuckle knock to the door brought them back to reality. "Hey, you guys ready yet? The priest is here and he isn't happy to be kept waiting, nor does Sesshomaru!"

"Just a few more minutes, Koga!" Rin yelled out. "We're doing the finishing touches!"

"You don't need the finishing touches! Just get down to the den as soon as possible!" Koga remarked as he started to walk away from the door.

Rin smiled wryly as she turned to Sango and the two burst out laughing, all tension between them had suddenly melted away.

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When the cold band of that gold ring slipped on Rin's finger, her whole body involuntarily trembled. Why, she didn't know. Maybe it was the fact that now it seemed legally that she was the property of one Sesshomaru Sadamoto. He still hadn't let her forget about her aberrant 'loan' that he was paying off for her. Just when she thought something was building between them, she saw the path crumble under Sesshomaru's lack of trust. But now, he stood dominantly over her, his height dwarfing her small frame. The dark blue suit he wore contrasted her brilliantly white dress.

As the small toadish priest spouted words before him, many in a language she couldn't understand, Rin's eyes wandered to rest of the wedding party. Sango stood off to her right with an expression that Rin couldn't read, that is, until Sango noticed that she was being watched and smiled widely at her. Beside Sango stood Ayame, her long red hair released from their pigtail imprisonment. She smiled weakly at the pair before turning her eyes back to the small priest. He was now glaring at her with an intensity she'd only seen in horror movies. He turned his attention back to the book in his pudgy hand for a moment and then looked to Rin.

"As I was saying, Do you proclaim that you are willfully agreeing to this marriage?"

Rin's eyes widened and an involuntarily gulp gripped her throat. She glanced to Sesshomaru, his face solid and emotionless. Sighing heavily, she found the words she needed.

"I do."

The toad nodded his head sarcastically and turned to Sesshomaru.

"As it was stated in your father's will, you had to be married by the deadline appointed by your father after his death. This marriage is conducted under the premise that you, Sesshomaru, son of Taisho Sadamoto, will take over as the rightful heir to the demon lands and all control of demons therein…"

Rin stifled a gasp. Her blood began to boil and she now felt like a demon herself. This is why he was marrying her? This is why yesterday happened! All just for the sake of control over land! Rin couldn't believe it! After everything that happened, after the company, the whole blow-up, his indecent proposal, she thought that he might have actually had some feelings for her. Now she knew, there were no feelings, nothing there inside that tall exterior. He was just using her to his own benefit. Ooohhh, he was gonna pay for this! The sudden movement of the toad priest snapped her attention back to the ceremony, as he swung a staff around in circles above him and then stamped it upon the floor.

"As the priest residing over this joining of partners, I acknowledge you as a couple, Lord Sesshomaru Sadamoto and Lady Rin Sadamoto. My Lord, you now hold the reign over the lands, following in your father's path." The small priest said as he bowed to he couple, 'And not a moment too soon.' He mumbled under his breath.

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"You seem unnerved, my dear. Wedding day jitters?"

Rin's head snapped to look up at Sesshomaru's face. His words were sudden, along with that term of endearment that she never thought to hear from him again. He merely stared ahead, sipping slowly on a glass of champagne as he watched their few guests talk among themselves.

Sango and Kagome were talking with the young man that Sango had brought along. Inuyasha stood by the window, having a heated discussion with Koga while Ayame was trying to intervene.

Rin looked down at the floor. "No, its not that. I just wish that mother could have been here."

"You know as well as I do, she would not understand me being a demon and the whole ceremony. Plus, you decided that it was too far for her to travel in such a short time."

"I know, it's just, we've hardly ever been apart, save for the part of the day I was at work. Now, I'm miles away and she's in a home where she can be looked after better than I ever could." Rin sighed.

"Don't worry about it. You will see her tomorrow and any other day you feel like it." He placed the now empty glass upon the small table beside him and looked to Rin. "You should not be so glum. There is still something left to fulfill in our contract."

Rin's mouth dropped open. "What's left! I married you! Wasn't that it?"

"Of course, but what comes of a marriage night?" Sesshomaru said with a sly smile before he walked away toward Koga and Inuyasha.

Registering Sesshomaru's words slowly, Rin's face suddenly paled to mimic the white dress she wore. Gods, she'd forgotten all about that part. He really thought for her to actually do…that…with him?

She watched in shock as he walked away, leaving her to stand there with those images in her head. She didn't know how long she had stood there, but a hand to her bare shoulder, startled her out of the state she had been in.

"You okay, Rin?" said the familiar voice of Sango.

Shaking her head, Rin put on a smile to hide her fading shock and turned to the young girl. "I'm fine… I was just thinking of my mother, that's all."

Sango nodded her head in agreement. "She would have loved to have been here. But I will tell her about it when I see her tonight. You needn't worry so much about her. Now, you have much more things to think about, such as tonight." A small smile crawled upon Sango's lips.

Rin's face flashed red with embarrassment and she covered her face with her hands. "Don't speak of such things, Sango! I can hardly think about it, much less talk about it!"  
Sango let out a chuckling laugh at Rin's reaction. "Okay, I won't talk about it."

With that out of the way and out of mind, it eased the tension holstered in Rin's shoulders and neck. She hardly noticed the time pass away as she talked with Sango and then Kagome and Ayame. Suddenly there was a large hand upon her shoulder.

"Ladies, I think that the night has come upon us. Its best you leave for your own homes." Sesshomaru addressed the three girls with an unemotional look on his face.

Rin clutched to Sango's hand as she lead her to the front door. Both Koga and Miroku were outside leaning against their cars, talking to Inuyasha. With everyone that had assembled that day outside, it didn't take long for everyone to leave. Koga and Ayame were taking Inuyasha back to their house while Miroku and Sango returned Kagome home. But it was hardest for Rin to let Sango leave. She wouldn't let go of the grip she had on her hand until Sesshomaru's hand squeezed her shoulder, telling her what he didn't need to say out loud.

When the last bit of red faded into the night, Rin turned sharply from her place on the front stoop next to Sesshomaru and stalked into the house. Confused at her actions, Sesshomaru followed, but his mind was starting to wander to other things at hand.

He was met by a turned woman. She stood at the foot of the stairs, glowering at him as he quietly closed the door.

"Can't wait to have me alone, can you?" He taunted, making slow steps toward Rin.

"Hardly! Why didn't you tell me!" She yelled at him.

'Okay, what brought this sudden change of temper?', thought Sesshomaru as he headed closer toward Rin. "Tell you what?"

"You were using me! That's all this marriage was about wasn't it! You didn't ask me because of my loan, you needed a female body to be married to get your precious inheritance! That's all I am to you, to any demon? A tool that you use and then throw away once you're done?"

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. "A tool? That's what you think I see you as? Well, maybe I do!" Sesshomaru stepped next to Rin on the stair stoop. "But you used me as well, didn't you! I was also a tool in your ploy to con your way out of the money that you stole. Don't forget about that, my dear! You used me to fall into your trap and offer the one thing that could fix your life!"

Once again, Sesshomaru, reminded himself to stay farther out of arms reach from this woman. For now his right cheek throbbed with a vengeance as she had connected once again, slapping him when he was off guard. Sesshomaru stepped back and put a hand to his cheek, cursing under his breath. Rin glowered up at him, her mouth a thin line and her whole face menacing as she breathed through her nose.

"How…Dare…You…Even…Think…That…Of…Me!" Rin spat out at him. "I did no such thing, never in anyway since the first day I met you. I only turned to you because you were the only person I trusted about it! And when men go around proposing to women that they hardly know, they shouldn't talk lightly of others until they get a decent look at themselves!"

Rin spun around and quickly made her way up the stairs. Sesshomaru stared after her as she made her way all the way up to the third floor and entered his bedroom, slamming the door behind her nonetheless. At least she hadn't retreated back to the second floor room; it would have been a fruitless night if she had. Her anger had most likely clouded her judgment.

"Women!" Sesshomaru snapped at the empty corridor, his voice echoing through the house. "Why do you have to be so complicated?"

Taking his time, hoping more to give Rin time to cool off, Sesshomaru started his way up the three flights of stairs to his room.

Rin sat a dresser table, dressed in a light blue nightgown she had found in the closet. She hadn't realized that she had walked straight to Sesshomaru's room. Her mind had been so cracked by the thoughts of what was to happen tonight that her body moved there of its own will without any more thought on the matter at hand. At first entry to the room, Rin had gasped at the immenseness of it all. The walls were colored a deep burgundy red that was accented by matching curtains and furniture. There was a pair of open terrace doors that showed a huge expanse of land that ranged far into the countryside. There was a double king-size bed against one wall covered with black satin sheets. Across from it, a cackling fire that had to have been lit in preparation for that night. Rin snorted at the thought and had ran into the nearest closet, tearing off the wedding dress she had loved at the start of the day, but now she hated. What a surprise to Rin, to find all of her old clothes and even more hanging in the closet.

Now, she did the only automatic thing left to do, get dressed for bed.

"You should wear your hair down more often."

Rin's head nearly snapped at the force she used to turn and look where the voice had come from. Sesshomaru was leaning with one shoulder against the bedroom door, a hand in his jacket pocket and looking very smug about himself. Rin stuck up her chin and turned back to the mirror on the dresser.

"I'll try to keep that in mind." She said coldly.

Her eyes looked his reflection in the mirror and noticed that he had started to slowly advance toward her, slipping his jacket off his shoulders. Immediately she was on her feet and moving away toward the bedroom door. Who knows what demons did to obstinate women! She didn't get as far as four steps before Sesshomaru caught her like a mouse in a trap, his hands were a vice on her arms.

"I should go back down to my room. I don't want to bother you anymore." Rin tried to shake herself free from his grip. It was hopeless after a few tries.

"And why would you do that, my dear mate. I did say that there was still something more to fulfill in your contract." He said as he lowered his voice, his eyes slowly warming to the vision before him.

Rin looked up suddenly, meeting his face and became worried by it. He still wasn't serious! Was he?

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Okay people I did it! There you have another chapter! It was hard to get by the wedding but it was all flowing after that. Next might be a little bit because I will be writing the lemon, if you hadn't guessed, that would be happening next. But it will only be located at my website, so watch for an update on here and I'll tell you when it's done. I will try my best to get everything done faster. I will have more time after Sep 12 because then I will be back from Anime Iowa and there will be no more qualms about my costume.

Thank you for your reviews! Please keep them coming, Everyone of them pushes me to keep writing!

Cyancat (/)

Lindsay


	11. Eagerness Will Get You Nowhere

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby acknowledge to all that stuff you have heard before and that you don't need to hear again since we all know it by heart. Takahashi-sama is the only one who can do that. All I own is this story idea.

This is an AU fic based off the plot of an old romance novel of my mom's.

**Cyancat** (\/)

I have to say that I deeply apologize to all my readers that know I haven't updated in a bit. bows to you all for an hour

I was so nervous writing this part that I kept putting it off. I am sorry as I know how horrible it is to sit and wait for people to update. I appreciate all your encouraging reviews and comments. I hope to finish the fic quickly and efficiently. Thank you for your time. And while you wait, you can pick on me and see what I'm doing at:

cyancat dot deviantart dot com.

See all my pretty pictures!

**The Captive Bride**

**Chapter Eleven – Eagerness Will Get You Nowhere **

The heat in his eyes burned straight through her as she was pulled closer to his own body. Those amber eyes were aflame at this moment, sparked by an intense internal hunger for something more than food and there was no denying what he wanted. Rin blushed, turning her head away.

"Do we really have to do this?" She said with a quivering voice when he started to slowly stroke her arms. "I mean, we're already married. I lived up to my end of the deal. You have me as a wife. You don't need me anymore than as just the woman beside you. Why would you even want to do such a thing with me, a lowly human?"

The strong hand of Sesshomaru's gripped her chin and pulled her gaze back to his. Those amber eyes were powerful, sinking her into a haze she couldn't flee.

"Whether you are human or not, you are now MY mate, Rin." He freed the hold on her chin and slowly trailed his hand down the line of her throat to the nape of her neck. "And you will be marked to show that you are mine and no one else's."

Those words knocked Rin out of the haze she had been falling into. "Marked?" She ripped herself away from the hold he had on her and walked to the opposite end of the bed, arms crossed squarely across her chest, unaware at how she was accenting her chest to Sesshomaru. "How dare you! I am not just some woman that you can play around with! Yes, I did agree to marry you, but I never agreed to share your bed."

Sesshomaru let out a deep rumbling laugh and shook his head. He walked across the room to his own closet and dropped his tie and belt on a door knob. He began to unbutton his white dress shirt. "Rin, dear girl, you have guts, I must say that. I noticed that determination in you the first day we met. But, I am afraid; it is all too late for going back on your word." The shirt was dropped like a rag on the floor.

Sesshomaru turned to stare back at Rin, his now bare chest emblazoned by the flickering fire light, his eyes mirroring the effect. His chiseled torso was a toned perfection, lightly bronzed to highlight the taut muscles underneath. Without a word, Sesshomaru started to approach his new wife as she stood next to the bed.

Rin saw this and stepped back in reaction, for every one of his steps, she took one back. "I did nothing of the sort." She said through a dry throat, her eyes locked on the bare chest slowly heading toward her. "I kept my promise and married you, that was it!"

Taking another step back, Rin squawked in surprise as she realized she had been backed against the wall. Before she could turn and run, Sesshomaru's arms were surrounding her, locking her into a pale skinned cell that held him only a foot away from her face.

"Oh, we are far past that part, my dear. You agreed to marry me, Sesshomaru Sadamoto, Lord of the Demon Lands. When you agree to marry a demon, there is far more to expect than a silly ceremony."

Rin hated to ask, but she knew he was waiting for it. She felt a sheen of sweat start to form on her body; the conversation was more exerting than she thought. "What happens when I marry a demon?" She said with a forced swallow to clear her choking throat.

A wry smile formed on Sesshomaru's lips as he moved closer until he was a mere inch from her own. "You get to find that out tonight, as you will become my mate in every right. Every demon marks his mate to show that she is his."

And before anything else could happen, before she could think of another word to rebuke at him, his mouth was crashing down upon hers. If she had thought that those first two kisses had been something, they were nothing compared to this. Something from deep within her flew alive at that moment and began coursing through her body. Flames seared her skin as his mouth crushed upon her, evoking her body to react unconsciously by kissing him back. Just when Rin thought that her lungs would burst, Sesshomaru broke the kiss, leaving both of them panting for air. She looked back up at the man before her and found him staring back, lust swirling in his eyes, mouth open as he breathed heavily.

"That is only a taste of what will happen, my dear Rin." He said in a quick breath.

It took every ounce of strength in Rin to shelve those feelings Sesshomaru had awakened in her. She shook her head in disagreement. "No, I don't care what you do. I won't agree to this."

A crooked smile formed on Sesshomaru's face. "You won't agree? Do you really believe that I'll take no for an answer?"

Swallowing the lump that had been growing in her throat and her eyes cast downward to the floor, Rin stated the answer that she had always known deep inside. "No, you won't."

Sesshomaru let out a short scoff of air through his nostrils. He hadn't expected her to actually admit to it. His hand took her chin once more, forcing her eyes to stare back into his. "Your mind resists, yet your body does not. I know that you want this, more than anything you have ever wanted before. Give in."

Rin shook in fear, but mostly in anticipation. She knew what was going to happen tonight. She really thought that she might have come to make him love her, but she now knew it was fruitless, he had shown his true colors. She just didn't want to face it, or it was just the fact that it was to be with the one man that didn't see her as a real wife, just a toy to be used at will. "I…I hate you, Sesshomaru. No matter what you do, you can't force me to forgive you. Not for anything. I thought that you actually had a shred of dignity inside of you, I see now that you never did."

She tried to force her head up, showing more of a stubborn face, but it was locked tightly in Sesshomaru's grasp. A smile crossed his lips and Rin shuddered at the thoughts that might be swirling in that mind of his.

Without another word, Sesshomaru crashed his lips upon her once more. Oh, how she riled him up! Just like the perfect mate, making him work for his ultimate prize. His left hand released her chin and made its way down her body, slowly caressing the curves on her vivacious body. His right circled her neck, holding her close, his fingers working a massaging magic upon her nerves. Rin had no time to react to this second kiss and this time fell even faster for the caresses he moved across her body, her eyes closing tight. When his hand crossed upon her buttocks, caressing through the thin film of her nightgown, she involuntarily let out a moan that she instantly regretted. She felt his mouth smile against hers, satisfied with what he was eliciting from her.

Moving back up her body, she could feel his hand moving toward her breasts. He cupped them, causing her to nearly moan once more, but she held back, that is until he began to caress and pinch at her through the silk gown. She let out a low guttural moan, again gaining a smirk from her aggressor. With him switching back and forth between each breast, Rin had hardly time to think, with his mouth nipping and lapping at her own lips, his right hand making ministrations upon the nape of her neck, and his other rubbing her just so causing herself to harden under his touch. It was just too much to take, to resist.

He suddenly broke the crushing kiss he had on her lips and let her catch what breath she could. Rin suddenly felt her legs start to give out below her and before she knew it, he was gathering her into his arms. It wasn't but a few steps to the bedside where Sesshomaru laid her down, engulfed by the sea of black satin. Once her head touched down on the cool sheets, Sesshomaru once again started his attack on her lips, giving Rin little time to recuperate. Now his hands had more access to roam across her body. She could feel one hand flow down the front of her gown, down her stomach and over her thigh until he met the apex of her legs. He began to inch her gown up slowly, gathering it into his hand, for what he wanted was hidden below.

'No, this isn't right! I can't do this, not now!' She thought to herself, pulling out of the haze. Rin tried to push Sesshomaru away, a thin piece of defiance trying one last time to get away. Her shoving only caused him to lean back on the bed while laughing to himself. He caught her wildly thrashing arms and pinned them above her with one hand.

"You are mine, woman. Do not forget that. Just mine and mine only." Sesshomaru said with a husky growl. It quieted Rin's struggling body and she stared up at him in a look that might have been of horror had he not been caressing her body the way he was for her eyes were now clouded over in a haze of conflicting emotions.

His fingers started to slowly swirl clockwise at the nape of her neck, lulling her back into the mist he wanted her in. Her mind was going numb by the undulating fingers on her neck. Her skin tingled at every spot he touched, burning her alive. It was agony but for some reason, she didn't want it to stop.

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Okay that is it for this PG-13 chapter. I won't add the rest because I don't want to upset anyone here at Fanfiction. If you want to read the lemon and you are old enough to know what you are reading, you must go to adultfanfiction dot net

Once there, click on the Anime section, then the Inuyasha link. Once more, Go to the Top link for Sesshomaru/Rin pairings.

This story will be there at the top, more or less.

Oh, Sesshomaru's woman, if you read this, I have to ask, did you cosplay at AnimeIowa? I am totally bedazzled that someone even knows what I'm talking about. If you were there, did you see the tall Sophitia? That was me! I keep hoping that someone remembers me…..

And I'm sorry that it has been so long, but I had class stuff to deal with right after AI that I didn't see coming. Then there was work – 40 hrs a week mind you, I try to keep up, but my energy somedays is nil.

Next chapter will be here a bit later on, I have everything detailed out until the end finally and can write in peace.

Sorry that its way, way late, but I was so hesitating in writing this chapter.

Cyancat


	12. Aftereffects of My Heart

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby acknowledge to all that stuff you have heard before and that you don't need to hear again since we all know it by heart. Takahashi-sama is the only one who can do that. All I own is this story idea.

This is an AU fic based off the plot of an old romance novel of my mom's.

**Cyancat** (\/)

**The Captive Bride**

**Chapter Twelve – Aftereffects of My Heart**

Sesshomaru rolled over, stretching lightly as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Sunlight streamed in through the terrace doors, covering the room in a bright radiance. Blinking his eyes, he scanned the room out of habit. He noticed his shirt and pants on the floor along with what remained of Rin's nightgown. Smiling in remembrance, his eyes turned to his left and found the form of his new mate.

Rin lay on her stomach, her face pointed toward him. A small smile wavered on her lips, a content look to her whole face. His eyes instantly found her new marking, two white circles at the bottom of her neck clearly evident upon her creamy skin. A toothy grin spread across his face as his gaze glazed over the exposed skin of her back. The bed sheets were at her waist, but he already knew what lay below. He remembered later that night, he had suddenly woken bolt upright with his mind reeling from what most would call a nightmare, though Sesshomaru would never admit to it. After realizing where he was, it confused Sesshomaru that he was actually relieved to find Rin still beside him, her warm body nestled against his. But then he recalled why he had married her, why she had actually agreed, and the smile on his face shrank away.

Snorting with renewed irritation, Sesshomaru pushed off the bed and stalked into the bathroom. Even if he was just married, there was still work to do, even more now that he was officially Lord now. He opted to take a walloping cold shower, knowing that his body had other ideas every time he recollected events from last night. Why did he let himself be attracted to this human woman? She was a thief and a liar, no doubt about it. She wasn't trust worthy and try as she may, there was no excuse for what she did. The only reason he even took her into his bed was for the good of the lands, basically for his sake to be Lord. She was a temptress no matter how she disagreed with him. She seemed so innocent and defenseless on the surface, but she hid something inside, hiding just below her facade.

Sighing heavily, he turned off the cold water and stepped out of the shower. It wasn't that what had happened last night was nothing, she invigorated his body just at the thought of her yearning body. But once he had seen her in that nightgown, silhouetted by the light from the fireplace, it wasn't his mind that had advanced, it was his lust. That little voice that had been nit-picking at the back of his mind was the main reason for his actions over the past few days, wheedling away at his own emotions. Was she trustworthy? Was she worth all this effort?

Tucking his light blue shirt into his black trouser pants, Sesshomaru walked over to the dresser mirror to knot his tie. From the reflection in the mirror, he noticed Rin start to stir on the bed. He froze, watching her form slowly sit up. She quickly covered herself once she realized how exposed she was and began to scan the room, much like he did when he awoke. Once she saw him, he busied himself back to knotting the tie.

"Morning." Rin said with a blush.

Sesshomaru turned his head to look at her over his shoulder. He nodded his head slightly. "Morning." He replied as he finished his tie, cinching it up tight.

He walked over to his side of the bed and sat down, shaking the whole bed. Rin stayed where she was, pulling the covers closer around her. Sesshomaru stared ahead, unknowing what to say to her at this moment.

"You're going to work today?" Rin questioned.

He didn't answer, just nodded his head in agreement. Bending down, he started to pull on his shoes.

"Before you go…do you need anything? I can make some breakfast for you."

"I have servants who cook for me." Sesshomaru quickly snapped. He saw her small form shirk at his hardened words and instantly regretted saying that.

"Sorry. I just thought I could help."

"I don't need any help from you. You make enough trouble as it is already."

Rin's mouth hung open in shock, her face paling by the second. "You really think that of me? Am I really that much trouble for you?"

"I don't think, I know you are! For the past few days, you have put me into more turmoil than I have ever had to deal with!" Sesshomaru stood rigidly from his seat and began to walk toward the bedroom door. His hand paused as he gripped the door handle. "You are my mate. You share my bed and my name, nothing more. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

Quickly escaping the room, Sesshomaru was not able to see the wounded look on Rin's face. Nor know how much pain that he had put her in with those words.

Rin stared at the door even after it closed, replaying his cruel words over and over again. She made trouble for him? She never asked him to do this for her, she never asked to be his wife. He was the one who asked her to marry him, become his 'mate.' He brought that so called trouble on himself. How could he think that of her, after everything, after last night?

Yes, last night, Rin reflected, now that had been a different experience. Oh, how he had excited her. She never dreamed that making love could be so….so passionate. Her first impression of sex, it had not been a moment of making love, but something of a disappointment. Eighteen and fresh out of high school, Rin's first job was at an accounting firm and there she met him, Hojo. He had been sweet and caring, buying her flowers every other day. It wasn't much to her surprise when he asked her out on a date. That night….they went back to this apartment and one thing led to another. He had been rough and it was over within a matter of minutes, setting a basis that Rin would live on through the years. She began to believe that having sex, that kind of sex was what happened to everyone. It wasn't a fun or enjoyable moment, Rin thought, it had to happen to everyone, right?

That's also why she fought so hard against Sesshomaru's advances. She was scared that Sesshomaru would be the same as her first time and she didn't want to know that, for she actually had started to care for him. But then Sesshomaru had surprised her, opening new doors to her mind that she had never even thought about. Time and time again, he had taken her over the edge leaving her body and mind reeling while begging for more. It was more than a dream, it was a fantasy that she thought never could come true. But it was true, for Sesshomaru was the real thing.

And then there was the part when he had actually bit her. She'd heard of masochism, but what he did, now that was on a different level. She rubbed the spot on her shoulder where he had bit her, but was surprised when she didn't feel any evidence of the wound. Climbing out of bed and wrapping the covers around her, Rin scurried over to the dresser mirror. Her eyes widened in shock while her fingers grazed the spot where now two white circles lay. This is what he meant by marking?

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Rin closed the door behind her as he shook the rain off of her jacket. It was pouring outside, soaking everything that stepped out into it. She had been visiting her mother, taking her out for a walk in the local park, like she had done everyday since her marriage to Sesshomaru only a week and a half ago. But her time had been cut short by the graying clouds and rumbling skies. Her mother, though saddened that she had been unable to see the marriage, was delighted for Rin. It was so wonderful for her to have found someone to love and exuberantly told every orderly and nurse at the home. This caused Rin to blush every time she did it, wishing that she wouldn't make it such a big deal.

Though Rin wished that the words her mother spouted were true. If she really had married him because of love, but that wasn't going to ever be true. Sesshomaru was too cold, too angry at her to even try to have feelings for her. Even after the two times that week when Sesshomaru had kissed her awake, arousing her desires once more to the height of passion, she knew it couldn't be true. He never even talked to her during the day. Dinner was eaten in silence if he even arrived or else it was just her and Inuyasha.

But now she stalked up the three flights of stairs, cursing aloud at the idiot who decided to put in so many stairs. Arriving in the master bedroom, Rin shed her wet clothes for a dry burgundy sweat suit and put her hair up into a low ponytail. Again she started her descent down the flight of stairs, knowing that she would never get used to them. She was hoping to snag a warm cup of coffee when halfway down the stairs, she saw the soaking figure of Inuyasha making his way up. He looked just like a wet dog, even his ears were drooping with the weight of the rain.

"Inuyasha? Is everything alright?" She said, pausing on the second floor landing.

His body quirked at the sound of his name, but did not bother to look up at Rin. The way that he carried himself was unnerving to Rin and she knew something was wrong. He made it to the second floor landing and started to walk around Rin, who was still waiting for an answer. Immediately she reached out her left hand and grabbed his arm.

"Inuyasha! What's wrong!" She demanded of him, tightening her grip on him.

"What's it to you!" Inuyasha sneered, averting his eyes from looking directly at Rin.

"I want to know what's going on! Why are you soaking wet!"

Inuyasha tried to roll off her grip, but she remained firm, a new found strength kindled in her anger. She brought her right hand up to his face, much like a mother would do. She felt his cheeks were wet and figured it to be the rain. Slowly she turned his face toward her own searching gaze. What she saw shocked her, for the wetness that she had felt was not the rain, it had been Inuyasha's own tears. His eyes were red and swollen, a sure sign of crying, but the truth of it laid in his eyes. They were just like his brothers deep glowing amber, but now Inuyasha's eyes had a sadness lying inside, a turmoil that Rin knew was hurting him badly.

"Inuyasha, tell me. What happened?" She said softly, rubbing her hand along his cheek.

His face became distressed, eyes watering once more with renewed tears. It wasn't more than after a few seconds of seeing his saddened face that he suddenly crashed his body against her, pulling her into a vice-like hug while crying into her shoulder. Rin could only wrap her arms around him in response, all the while wondering what had happened.

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Rin sat in the master bedroom, her foot tapping incessantly on the wood plank floor. Her face was tight with irritation, her mouth a thin line of anger. Sitting in the chair next to the fireplace, her view was in direct line with the front doors. She'd be able to see the moment, the instant that Sesshomaru walked through.

It wasn't until the hall clock chimed eleven that Sesshomaru entered his home, the cold wind of the dark night blowing in behind him. He slowly peeled off his long black trench coat, savoring the feeling of being home finally. He slowly made his way up the stairs, his mind playing tricks on him with visions of Rin in her thin nightgowns. He really needed to stop doing that, later. But upon opening the door to their bedroom, Sesshomaru realized, those visions were not going to happen anytime soon. Stuffing hands into his pant pockets, he leisurely walked toward the glaring figure.

"Something on your mind?" He joked mildly, seeing Rin quickly stand from her seat and approach him, her shoes tapping loudly on the floor.

"You've got a lot of nerve Sesshomaru Sadamoto!" She yelled at him, stopping only a few feet from his form, "I can't believe you could act so cruel to your own family."

"What are you talking about, woman?" He said, sidestepping Rin to head toward his closet.

Rin turned to watch him disappear between the closet doors. "You know exactly what I'm talking about! Today your own brother came to you and asked if he could marry a girl. And what do you do? You turn him down flat without a word of consideration on his part! I can't believe that you could be such an egotistical moron!"

His deep voice emanated from the doors. "So the little hanyo came running home, did he? I thought as likely. Just like a weak human."

She approached the closet, her anger kindled even more. "Weak human! Is that all you think he is! How irresponsible can you be, he's your brother!"

"Half-brother!" Sesshomaru roared back as he walked out of the closet, "And this is none of your concern, so don't interfere anymore in our affair." He had changed his clothes quickly, for he wore a white sleepwear ensemble with the nightshirt hanging open on his shoulders, accenting his abs. Rin took a step back, letting him pass.

Watching him walk to the fireplace, Rin curled her hands into fists, giving her courage to continue. "You know as damn well as I do that the second that boy walked into this house, it became my concern! The moment I became your wife…your mate, I was part of this family! So everything that happens between you two, deals with me as well!"

"You think that I really care what you think of me?" Settling into a chair, Sesshomaru glowered back at Rin. "The little thief thinks that she can tell me stories on ethic? You have no right to tell me how to deal with my family, especially Inuyasha! My decision is final!"

"You call me a thief and ridicule me about ethic? You've got a lot of guts, Sesshomaru Sadamoto. I don't care if you are a demon or not, what you did to your own brother was the worst!"

Sesshomaru leaned forward in his chair, slamming a fist onto the chair arm. "What I did is policy for every demon wishing to marry outside of our own species! I am the Demon Lord, I choose whether they can marry or not, it's my decision! It doesn't matter what you say, I never change my mind on any circumstances! And no hanyo, even my own half-brother, is going to change that!"

Rin guffawed at his answer and paced across the room. "All of this because he's a hanyo? You hate him because of that! I can't believe you! Its because he's your half-brother that you should show the decency to help him."

Sesshomaru snorted. "Decency? What decency! I knew all along that girl was visiting Inuyasha every moment that I wasn't home. I'm not blind! Traipsing around my own home, trying to keep their little love affair hidden from me, I knew every step they took! But the fact that he even requested to marry that girl…doing that was the last straw. Even a hanyo has no business with the like of her kind!"

"Her kind! What? The fact that she's just a lowly human?"

"No, the fact that she's a miko! You do know what a miko does, right?" Sesshomaru growled through his teeth. "They destroy demons! It's their job! I don't want a miko, much less that woman to be part of our demon heritage! What kind of Lord would I look like if I let a miko in my house?"

"I don't know how you would look, especially after you let a human woman into your house." Rin said, crossing her arms across her chest, her eyes narrowing in anger.

"Do not tread on paths that you do not know, woman." Sesshomaru gritted through his pearly white teeth as he stood up from his seat. Slowly he walked toward Rin, his eyes locked with hers in a dead-fast staring contest. "You just might get caught in a place that you can't get out of."

"I'll take my chances!" Rin declared loudly and promptly turned on a heel, heading straight for the bed room door. She grabbed the robe from the foot of the bed as she passed and wrapped it around her arm.

"Where do you think you're going?" He called out to her mockingly as she reached out a hand to the door knob.

"Anywhere away from you!" Rin yelled back. She swung open the door forcefully and slammed it behind her, leaving the Demon Lord alone in his room.

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"That jerk! That insolent bastard! He's so full of himself that he can't see how shallow he really is!" Rin yelled out into the empty 2nd floor bedroom as she plopped down onto the bed. It was colder in there because the fire hadn't been lit yet, so her skin shivered, spreading goose bumps all over her body.

"He just…. He's just so heartless!" Rin cried, hiding her face in the fabric of her robe, "I thought that he would have some feelings, demon or not! But all he seems to care about is his power and nothing else. I hate him! I hate him so much!"

Suddenly Rin dropped her robe and bolted for the bathroom door. She felt all of a sudden very sick to her stomach.

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Hello again!

Thank you for reading another chapter of my story! I greatly appreciate your readership!

I know that this chapter was a bit smaller than most, but don't worry. The next will be full of pages to read. Only a few chapters left to go! I can't believe it!

I especially loved writing the next morning part. Everything is so tense! And they had their first major fight, like a real couple! Though the topic was a bit unusual, but everything will work out sooner or later, right? Yet Sesshomaru fights so much with his own emotions, thinking that he can not feel for the woman Rin. Oh is he in for a big surprise!

Thanks again!

Cyancat


	13. What Will I Do Without You

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby acknowledge to all that stuff you have heard before and that you don't need to hear again since we all know it by heart. Takahashi-sama is the only one who can do that. All I own is this story idea.

This is an AU fic based off the plot of an old romance novel of my mom's.

**Cyancat** (/)

**A/N: **I have to say I am ecstatic! 200+ reviews on FanFiction alone! I am so happy that my story is loved by so many. I love all your reviews, as I can feel your excitement within the words! I giggle with joy when I read all of them! SO keep reviewing, even if it's a YEHAW!

And I can't believe that so many figured out Rin's condition so quickly! I thought that it would take sometime to tell you, but you hit it on the button! My readers are so smart! So what do you think will happen next? 66

**The Captive Bride**

**Chapter Thirteen – What Will I Do Without You?**

A week had passed since their fight, yet Rin stayed where she had fled. That bedroom felt like the safest place she could run to now, as the house itself was overbearing enough as it was. Every day and night was the same. She would wake up, always later after Sesshomaru had left and then would make her way on a short bus ride to the home where her mother stayed. After a long visit, Rin would return home and run immediately back into her fortress on the second floor. She didn't bother to even show up for supper, yet made arrangements for food to be sent up to her separately. And every night, Inuyasha was the one to bring her the tray of food. He had become more open to her since that rainy day he had told her about Sesshomaru's decision and was more willing to talk. Rin knew that he was lonely and hurting, so she did her best to keep a smile on his face. Although every time that door opened, she wished that Sesshomaru would be there instead of Inuyasha.

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"Why aren't you at home with your husband? Surely you have better things to do with him?" Rin's mother asked in her slow manner, her mouth in the small smile that she could manage.

Rin turned quickly to stare at her mother in shock, mouth agape. "Mother!" The pair had been having a small dinner in the park located next to the home. It was a beautiful day out and Rin had finally begun to relax once more. Now her mother had to bring it up? "How can you ask a thing like that?"

"I only ask because I care about you, my dear. I fear that there is something wrong with your marriage." Her mother responded with a frown.

A blush filled Rin's cheeks and she played with the napkin in her hand. "Th…there's nothing wrong with my marriage, mom. Sesshomaru is just very…busy. He has a company to take care of."

"He also has a wife to take care of." Her mother said with a wary look on her face. "Yet he doesn't seem to take much time for her."

"Look, mother," Rin took one of her mother's hands and patted it softly, "Everything is fine. Sesshomaru and I spend plenty of time together. It's just that he works late and it's hard for him to get away. We couldn't be happier."

"Really?" Questioned her mother in an uneasy tone.

"Really. We're doing fine. Now," Rin slapped her hands on her lap and quickly stood up. "I think we had better get you back to your room. You've got an appointment with Dr. Charles."

Rin with a smile to her mother, she scuttled to clean up the aftermath of their dinner. Grabbing her bag, Rin gripped the back of her mother's wheelchair and pushed her toward the tall brown building.

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"SHIT!" Rin groaned out as she watched the city bus speed down the road. Another minute earlier and she would have made it! "Great, just great!"

Now how was she going to get home? Looking around her, Rin shouldered her purse closer to her and started walking down the street in the direction the bus took off, her shoes setting a strong pace on the sidewalk. Maybe it wasn't that far to the house by foot.

Rin had walked four blocks and had begun to think that maybe waiting the half hour for the next bus would have been the better choice. Especially since her feet were killing her. Never again would she wear heels while visiting her mother. Sitting down on a nearby bench, she removed a shoe to rub at a throbbing heel.

"Rin?" Spoke a voice through the cluttered city noise. "Is that you?"

Looking up, Rin couldn't believe who she was seeing right beside her.

"Kohaku? What're you doing here?"

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"You know, I never expected to see you again, Rin. You quit the company so suddenly, I thought that you had left town or something."

Rin stopped playing with her coffee spoon, her fingers showing the nervousness flowing through her body. "Yeah, let's just say that there was a lot going on at the time. I still don't believe that it's been over three weeks since I was still working over there." She paused, taking a sip from her coffee cup and delicately placed it back down. "How is Mr. Hashi doing?"

"The old man?" Kohaku scoffed and brushed a hand through his brown hair. "Ah, he's fine. Cozy as a kitten in his little dungeon, whittling away at those swords he loves so much. Don't understand what he sees in that stuff."

She nodded understandably and sighed lightly, letting her gaze drift away from their table. The little café that Kohaku had directed her to was quaint and nearly hidden among the rest of the monotony of street vendors. A couple walked past the open doors of the café and Rin noticed right away at how they held hands with fingers interlocked. Both looked so happy, a beaming smile on both their faces, a sure sign of love. If that were ever true for her.

"Rin?"

"Hmm?" She turned her gaze back toward the man across from her. Kohaku was leaning back in his chair, one leg crossed over the other. He was wearing a red dress shirt with black trousers, making his boyish looks stand out even more. Though now his freckled face was marred with confusion.

"Rin, you alright? You seem kind of… distant."

She shook her head in reassurance. "No, it's nothing…really. I just haven't been feeling very well for the past few mornings. I don't think that everything hasn't been the best of luck for me, to say the least."

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"Koga, you braggart! How much longer do we have to wait? I have things to do!" Sesshomaru growled under his breath, letting his anger fester deeper.

The wolf walked around the table that Sesshomaru was sitting at and pulled out a chair across from him. He dropped down into the leather chair and rocked back a few times. "We should get chairs like these for our office. I like 'em."

"KOGA!"  
Koga rolled his eyes and turned toward the seething Lord. "Geez, don't have a heart attack. You might as well relax as well. It's going to be a while until that old man who owns this place gets here! You heard the secretary, he's on his way. Nothing I can do about it." Again he started to rock back in the chair.

"Do you have any idea what I have left for me back the office?" Sesshomaru slammed his fist upon the table. "A horde of old angry demons that are clamoring for information on how I will hold this position as Lord! And you want me to have to wait for some pathetic human to shuffle his butt in here just to make some kind of contract? Yeah right! You, my so-called friend, are staying here while I leave this place!"

Slamming his fist once more on the table, Sesshomaru quickly left his seat and advanced toward the door.

"Rin's holding out on ya, isn't she?" Piped up the amused wolf.

If Koga didn't know the dog demon so well, he would have seen the look that Sesshomaru now gave him as one of the scariest moments ever in his life. But Koga merely rolled his eyes at the clenched fists, bared fangs and reddening eyes. "So I was right!"

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"Go out with me."

The muffin that Rin had been chewing on suddenly stuck in the back of her throat and a fit of coughing ensued as she tried to pull back the offending bit of food.

"What!" Rin squeaked between sips of water from her quickly filled glass.

"Go out with me!" Kohaku scooted his chair closer to Rin and placed an arm around the back of her chair, catching her once again in his arms. "Come on Rin. You don't work at Sagawa anymore, it works out perfectly for the both of us! I know that you like me and I can't help but feel the same toward you."

Oh great! He was coming onto her again! She should have seen it coming, Rin chided herself. It had only been three weeks since he last tried this on her. Why did she think he was gonna give up?

Rin used an arm to push back against Kohaku's chest and quickly moved over to the chair on her left. "Kohaku, I'm sorry, but I can't!"

He blinked in disbelief. "Wha- Come on! You're not serious!"

"Look," Rin waggled a finger at his face, "I told you the same thing before I quit Sagawa and it's going to be the same answer every time. I won't ever go out with you again! Try to understand that!"

Kohaku leaned forward, putting his face next to hers. "Give me one good reason why you won't!"

Rin promptly shoved her left hand right into his face, extending her fingers wide, making sure that he saw the ring finger. "I'm married, that's why!"

His face went pale and he dropped back in his chair. "Married? How can you be married! You never had a boyfriend and you never said anything having a fiancé. That isn't possible!"

Rin expelled a deep sigh and stared at the ring surrounding her finger before dropping the hand back on her lap. "Oh, it's possible alright. We've been married for almost three weeks now."

"So what was it? Something your parents arranged back when you were kids?"

Rin shook her head. "No, it wasn't like that. I didn't even know him until a few days before we married. What we had was a sort of…agreement."

Kohaku snorted in response to her words. Resting his arms on the table, he leaned toward Rin. "Do you love him?"

"I don't know."

The answer was instant and Rin's eyes widened in realization of what she had just said and that she had even said it to Kohaku. Yet those words rattled around in her mind, refusing to leave. Did she love Sesshomaru? Or did he even care about her?

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"Gentlemen! I apologize for being late!" Boomed a deep voice from behind Sesshomaru. Turning, he met a squat man with rosy cheeks and a fake smile plastered on his face. "I had to take care of a few important matters that needed to be dealt with right away. Now are we ready to talk?" The man clapped his hands together energetically and headed toward his desk.

Amber eyes followed the man's haggard walk toward the desk in his office. His senses told him that the human had been drinking, quite heavily to be precise. Sesshomaru didn't blame him, he knew the reputation that came along with working with his company, even meeting him in person was enough to make a human quiver in fear. He glared once at Koga, luck was only on his side for a while.

Taking a deep breath, Sesshomaru walked across the office while rubbing fingers on his temples, a headache was bearing its way upon him. An annoying human and an aggravating Koga. Everything was so irritating he couldn't stand it! He walked toward the ceiling to floor window that was the outside wall of the large office. Eyes scanned the streets below, even if they were on the 50th floor, he could see just as clearly as if he was on the street. It was a bit of an uplift to watch the public scrambling to make their way down the street. He spotted several youkai, minor spells hiding their appearances from the main stream of humans. There was a young fox walking down the street, eyes ogling all the young women passing him. A weasel demon was toting her menagerie of children down the sidewalk and an old bull demon waved to the child walking behind her. It was a different look to life that he thought he'd never see, demons living in sync with humans and no one knowing the better.

His gaze traveling absently across the street, his eye picked out the a young woman exiting a coffee shop on the opposite side of the street. She walked beside a young man and was avidly talking with him. He remarked to himself that her hair was almost the same color as Rin's. Realization kicked in with a jump start. No, that woman was Rin! What was she doing here? She was usually visiting her mother at this time, but she had time to leisurely sit at some café with another man! His pulse leapt in anger at the sight of her and then shifted into fury as he saw the man kiss Rin on the cheek.

"Damn that woman!" He shouted out to the window, watching her walk away from the shop while the man headed in the opposite direction.

"Everything okay, Sadamoto?"

Sesshomaru turned to see the drunken human stare at him in fright from the conference table where he and Koga had been going over the contracts. Koga merely had an amused look on his face, all the more infuriating Sesshomaru even more.

Relaxing the growl he had stressed upon his face, Sesshomaru turned back toward the window, glaring at the image of Rin walking down the street. "Fine….just fine." He gritted through his teeth.

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Rin dropped her purse on the table beside the front door. Heading into the den next door, she sank into a plush sofa, kicking off her shoes with an exasperated sigh.

"I am not wearing heels to my mothers again!" Rin cried out. "My feet are killing me!"

She bent down to rub at her sore feet, the pinky toe on her left foot hurt especially the worst. Yawning, she laid out across the couch. The day had really knocked her out and already her eyes were heavy. Maybe just a few minutes to rest would help.

Rin didn't hear the front door slam shut twenty minutes later. Nor the heavy stomp of feet towards her in the den. The rumbling growl hardly graced her ears. She was in too deep a sleep to notice anything happening around her.

"Rin!" A voice said while his hand shook her shoulder.

"Mmmm…what?" She said sleepily, not wishing to leave the haven of her dreams.

"Wake up!" Growled the voice and pointedly sat her upright on the couch.

The owner of the voice was suddenly apparent to Rin, her eyes popping open in surprise. He stood before her, his eyes glowering at her in a way that she had never seen before.

"Sesshomaru? What are you doing home so early?" Rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"I could ask the same of you." Came the cold reply from her husband.

"Me? I left mothers a little early today. And I still missed the bus, unfortunately." Rin quickly stood and rounded the couch toward a side tray with a pitcher of water on it. Hastily she filled a glass and stared straight ahead, not daring to look into his eyes.

"And just how is your mother?" Sesshomaru inquired as he paced through the room, eyes locked on Rin's form.

Her body slumped at the question, suddenly feeling weak at the mere mention of her mother's condition. She placed the glass back onto the tray. "Not well. She's…she's slipping. I seem to only notice it when I find that she can't do something that she could last week."

"If you saw her more often, I think you would be able to see those signs more clearly. How often do you see your mother?"

Rin shook her head, picking up her water glass again, strength somehow returning to her body.. "I see her everyday. You know that."

Lifting the glass to her lips, Rin had only swallowed a few gulps before his voice returned, now an icy layer to it.  
"Then what is this! Just what have you been doing on your days away from here?"

The poison in his voice was deadly enough to make Rin turn her head around to look over her shoulder. Sesshomaru stood beside Rin, her purse in one hand and a slip of paper in the other. "What the damn hell is this?" He waved the paper at her face.

Rin turned to stand against him. "What are you doing going through my purse? You have no right!"

"Tell me what you're doing everyday, because it can't be seeing your mother." Sesshomaru crumpled the paper in his hands and threw Rin's purse to the ground, all the while advancing himself closer to Rin. "I saw you today with that dreadful human! Getting all cozy when you think I'm not around, huh? Trying your hand at another man already?"

"Today? At the coffee shop! That was nothing!"

"So you admit it!" He pointed a clawed finger at her face.

Glaring at Sesshomaru in anger, she lifted her head. "If that's what you want to hear, then yes! I was there with Kohaku! Are you happy now?"

"Oh just marvelous!" He threw up his arms in the air and walked away from Rin. He headed toward the opposite side of the room and stopped beside a table with a lamp atop it. Suddenly he lashed out with his right arm and took out the lamp. It fell to the floor with a loud crash, bits of the broken porcelain everywhere. A long stride carried him over to an armchair and he gripped the back, his claws slowly digging into the fabric. "I could kill you for this, you know."

Rin watched in horror at his actions, but quickly swallowed her fear. She couldn't be afraid of him, not any more. "Kill me? For what? Talking with an old co-worker?"

"Talking? Is that what they call it now?" He mocked, his jaw tight with fury.

She stalked up next to Sesshomaru and used her hand to forcibly turn his face toward hers. "ASK ME! You ask me what I was doing there!"

In a split second her wrist was in his grip, claws daring to pierce her skin. "Why? So that you can lie again to my face!"

Rin was too far infuriated by his actions to be deterred by the murderous gleam in his gaze. "I have never lied, especially to you! All we did was talk and that's it! Kohaku met me as I was walking home. I missed the bus and decided to walk! I thought that it was nice to actually talk to someone who I used to know. I've been locked up in this prison of house for so long, I'm going crazy!" She jerked her wrist from his hold and took a few steps back, "Kohaku gave me his address because he's moving! That's all that piece of paper was! But how could I think that you would understand!"

She pivoted and walked over to the phone on the wall, picking up the cordless receiver. His eyes narrowed as she pointed the phone toward him and he turned his head away.

"Call him!" She insisted. "If you don't believe me, you can call him! He can tell you the same thing that I'm telling you now! Tell him that my new husband is angry at him for talking to me!"

That phrase caused Sesshomaru to look up at her with a surprised glance. This had been the first time that he had actually referred to him as her husband, at least to his face. Yet he brushed away that faint glimmer of surprise, turning back to the icy malevolence he always carried. Now was not the time to be taking her side. She was still a liar, still a sticky-fingered thief that would try anything to get out from the grasp he had on her. But then, he realized, why did he feel so relieved to hear her words? Why was he suddenly so happy to hear that she was defending the marriage that she had fought against?

The room lay silent, their heavy breathing being the only noise interrupting their next choice of words. Sesshomaru loosened his hold upon the arm chair and circled it, slowly easing himself down into the plush chair and leaned his right elbow on its arm. Spreading his wide hand across his face, masking his eyes from Rin's accusing stares, Sesshomaru expelled a deep breath. "Why didn't you ask for a car or something? If it was so much trouble to even go to your mother's everyday, then why not have your own transportation?"

Rin opened her mouth to quickly retort, to jibe back with a sarcastic remark, but stopped herself. His whole body language had changed and she realized that he was being sincere with his questions. Now was the time for a sincere answer. "Because I would be asking for more invites of hate filled insults! I never want to be dependant upon you for anything. You mock me any time you can about the money, the loan that you say I intentionally stole. If I ask for a car, how many more cheap shots would I get from you?"

"Don't know. How many more lies were you going to tell me?"

Her hazel eyes were cast up to the ceiling. "Again with the lies! It always comes back to me lying, doesn't it!" She approached the seated demon, who hadn't changed from the first pose he struck. "Listen to me Sesshomaru, I never lied to you! Can't you believe that for once in your dense life?"

He moved a finger down to expose a tawny eye, finding Rin standing right in front of him. "I believe what I see and nothing more! I live by my instincts and act on them. And my instincts tell me otherwise when it comes to you."

"Fine! Don't believe me!" She yelled at him, her arms taught with anger as she flailed them around in an attempt to alleviate her mood. Though it wasn't working very well. She stalked to the opposite side of the room and leaned against a bookshelf. "Is that all the credit I get as your wife, your so-called 'mate' as you put it? I don't even know who I am. You keep me a hostage, like a captive within my own home! How can I respect you as my own husband if you don't even give me any room to move?"

"Room to move?" Sesshomaru questioned as he lowered his hand, uncovering a shocked expression. Staring at her brazen face, he let out a hard laugh as he stood up from his seat. "You have been given more room to move than I have given to any of my allies! You are not staying here against your will, I merely brought you here in terms of our agreement. In fact," Sesshomaru paused as he advanced across the room, snaring Rin's arms and pulling her close to his body, "You don't have an unwilling bone in your body!"

"Let go of me!" Rin cried out as she strained against his grip.

"No, I have a better idea." He said with an evil grin, his eyes gleaming in the afternoon light.

Rin stopped struggling and looked up at Sesshomaru, wondering if she was hearing those words right. Yep. The moment she saw that gleam in his eyes, she instantly knew what he wanted. The only other time she'd seen him like this was on their wedding night. The lust in his eyes was rising and it completely caught Rin off-guard.

Without a word, Sesshomaru was scooping her up in his arms and carrying her out of the den. Rin twisted and strained at his hold, trying to get away. She couldn't let him win the fight like this!

Sesshomaru smirked at how Rin tried so valiantly to escape his arms as he carried her up the stairs, toward the master bedroom. She was a lively woman, human or not. Always speaking her mind, and never taking no for an answer. Kicking the door shut with his foot, he crossed the room and dropped Rin upon the larger bed. She only had a second to try and roll away from him, but that second had come and gone. Sesshomaru had a hold of her waist, pulling her to him as he pinned her down with his crushing weight upon the bed. Capturing her chin in his grip, he laid assault to her mouth. When she resisted, he grabbed her head and forced her surrender. Licking her lips, as if savoring her taste, he stared down at Rin, her chest heaving from the heat of the moment and her struggles. His eyes wandered to watch the rise and fall of her chest, her breasts ample forms protruding from a blouse that further invited him closer.

"You can't make me." Burned her words of protest.

"Like hell." Sesshomaru laid a taunting chaste kiss upon her lips. "I think you learned that lesson on our marriage night. I can feel your body respond to every touch I make. I can feel your body trembling."

Rin blushed and tore her eyes away from the lust filled eyes that stared down at her. It was true. The moment he had crushed her body next to his, something stirred within her. His body, heavy upon her lithe frame, sent waves of radiating heat that coursed through her body. Her resistance was melting with every second, willing her to give in to him. For some reason, it didn't matter if they had just been fighting.

"You're heavy." Rin mumbled.

Raising his body off of Rin's body, he let his lips linger lightly upon hers, seemingly teasing her. "Do you know what you do to me? How my mind can't forget the feel of your body? Or the taste of your lips? Do you know how angry I was when I saw you this morning?"

"You shouldn't jump to conclusions. It isn't fair for you to attack me like that." Rin sighed, a hand snaking around his neck, her fingers tangling in his silver locks.

"Where is it stated in our marriage contract that I should be fair?" His hands roamed over her body, tempting her with unspoken actions.

Rin looked up into his eyes and her heart nearly leapt with the gaze she met. It was not malice or anger shrouding those wondrous ocher eyes, they were warm, glistening with a kind of jubilation. It surprised Rin, as she had come to believe that all he wanted from her was her body. Nothing more than just an object, a play thing for personal use. But now, it was as if he was happy that she wasn't seeing another man.

BRRRRRRRT! BRRRRRRRT! BRRRRRRRT! BRRRRRRRT!

Sesshomaru groaned with the intrusion of the telephone ring into their bedroom. It was just starting to get good. He looked down at Rin and grinned. Let it ring.

Rin had other ideas. "Aren't you going to answer that?" She pointed to the phone on the bedside table.

Sesshomaru leaned down to nibble at her neck. "Let it ring. I have better ideas to do right now." He hoped that Rin would catch his meaning.

"It might be important." Rolling away from his kisses, Rin reached for the phone.

Another groan escaped Sesshomaru's lips as he leaned on the bed, watching Rin talk into the receiver. He could hear it was Koga on the line. Now what did that wolf need now?

After a few minutes, she hung up and turned back to Sesshomaru with a smile. "We have a dinner appointment tonight."

"What!" He shot up on the bed as he watched Rin slink into her closet. "You actually agreed to go over there?"

"Why not?" Came the floating reply. "I haven't seen Ayame in a while, or Koga. I want to actually spend some time with people….demons that I know. I need to get out of here. Why don't you want to go? I thought he was your friend."

"It doesn't matter if he's my friend or not! You just don't know Koga. A lot of times these so called 'dinner parties' have an underlying method to them. I just wonder what tonight's plan is."

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Ahhhhh! I finally finished this chapter! I actually was going to write more, but its already 16 pages and I wanted to finally post something! So the rest of this chapter will lapse into the next. Oy! Anyway, hope you like it! And I think I will start on the next chapter now so that I can get at least half of it done tonight.

Thanks again for your wonderful reviews! I love ya all!

And

Please check me out at

cyancat dot deviantart dot com

ifyou can. Check out my nice pictures!


	14. Poll Question: Please Answer!

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby acknowledge to all that stuff you have heard before and that you don't need to hear again since we all know it by heart. Takahashi-sama is the only one who can do that. All I own is this story idea.

This is an AU fic based off the plot of an old romance novel of my mom's.

**Cyancat** (\/)

A/N:

To My readers:

Again, I have to say that I love you all for being so dedicated to this. I am so happy to see more reviews from people who are captivated by this story.

**The Captive Bride**

**Poll Question:**

Hello! Sorry that this isn't a chapter update, but it's coming along and will be here soon! Don't worry! I declare that if January 20th passes and I don't update, I give you all permission to hunt me down and smack me with my computer screen. I just tend to write when I have an idea instead of making time for it. Yes, I am a horrible procrastinator.

Hey, if you like Death Note or just some funny animations, check out what I was doing during most of that time procrastinating by going to my deviant art account at cyancat dot deviantart dot com. Click the picture below that says "The Day Death Note Came to South Park" and then when on that page click on the picture for the animation! Make sure you have your sound on!

Anyway, I have a Poll Question for you all!

As you know, Ayame is pregnant. And her time is coming soon. Now I would like to ask you all…

**What should we name the baby?**

I leave this up to you, my loyal readers. I really have no idea what to name this child, so what do you think Ayame and Koga would name their first baby?

Just comment with your answers and I will go through them all to pick the one I like best. Make names for boys and girls, as I have yet to really decide what she's having.

And now that most of you have noticed, Rin is pregnant as well. Though her baby has a specific name already made up, so don't worry about that.

Hope that you all stay tuned for more fun in the Sadamoto household with Rin, Sesshomaru, and Inuyasha along with the rest of the gang!

Thankies!

Cyancat

Lindsay M.


	15. The Meaning of Life and Death

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby acknowledge to all that stuff you have heard before and that you don't need to hear again since we all know it by heart. Takahashi-sama is the only one who can do that. All I own is this story idea.

This is an AU fic based off the plot of an old romance novel of my mom's.

**Cyancat** (\/)

A/N:

To My readers:

**Again, I have to say that I love you all for being so dedicated to this. I am so happy to see more reviews from people who are captivated by this story.**

**And I would like to say thank you to the overwhelming amount of names that you all gave me for the naming of Ayame's child. I really appreciate it. It was a tough choice, but I had to go with my gut and the two here, just felt….right. I had at first thought about calling the child Ginta or Hakkaku, but then, I thought that would have been a bit too weird, even for my story…..eheheheh. But still, great ideas overall!**

**The Captive Bride**

**Chapter Fourteen - The Meaning of Life and Death**

The sun had just set as Rin and Sesshomaru entered the home of Koga Kato, with Inuyasha following right behind them. Sesshomaru had been even more adamant against going when Rin told him that Koga had asked that Inuyasha come along as well. Something was brewing at the wolf's home. He just knew it. And it didn't ease his nerves any more when they walked into the entryway of Koga's home. Koga's smile was mischievous, if anything, Sesshomaru thought to himself as he watched Koga point out the houses interior to Rin, it being her first time there.

But he had to admit, Koga's home was a drastic change from his. Where he had stark white walls accented with marble flooring, Koga had wood paneling with durable carpets and wood flooring. And all over the floors, there were pictures and statues of all kinds. The house was actually livable, where Sesshomaru's was just stark, blank of any real decorations. Though, what did he need decoration for? A home was just a place to live outside of the office. Why fret over such trivial details?

Rin, upon seeing Ayame in the den to the right of the entryway, immediately ran toward her and the two embraced in a friendly hug. The three demon men were left to deal with themselves as the women started their own conversation. The first thing Rin noticed was that Ayame had drastically changed within the small amount of time she had seen her last. Her body, which had before resembled the figure of a woman 6 months pregnant, was now nearly doubled in size. It was any wonder that Ayame could even walk, Rin thought to herself.

"Rin, I'm so happy you came! You won't believe what we have planned!" Trilled Ayame, her face glowing in delight. Her shocking red hair was again in the pig-tails she loved, accented by the long flowing green dress she wore.

Rin blinked a few times at Ayame, her words registering slowly. "Planned? So Sesshomaru was right? Koga does have something planned for the party?"

Ayame guffawed at her question. Her eyes glanced once in the mentioned man's direction before turning back to Rin. Suddenly her voice was hushed as she cupped Rin's ear. "Look, I can't tell you what's happening, but don't worry, everything will be fine. Sesshomaru doesn't expect a thing, even if we made you bring Inuyasha along."

"So it's about Inuyasha?" Rin whispered back, now intrigued into the party plot.

"Shhhhh! Not so loud! Yes, it's about Inuyasha. I also wanted to see you again too, but I made sure that we did something about his predicament."

"Predicament?"

"You know…." Ayame glared at her, hoping she would get the right idea. Rin only stared blankly back at her, which made Ayame release a sigh. "About Kagome and wanting to marry her!"

Rin's eyes flew open in realization. "Oh! That predicament!...What did you do?"

Ayame smiled and did her best to stand up straight. "Now that is a secret!" She quipped laughingly.

"Now what secret would we be talking about, my dear?" Koga asked as he slipped an arm around Ayame's shoulders, laying a quick peck on her cheek.

Ayame rolled her eyes and smiled at her mate. "Oh nothing. Why would you think that there's a secret between us?"

"Those green eyes of yours are up to something. I can see it."

"Ha! What you're probably seeing is my hunger!" Ayame playfully slapped a hand to her mates face. "I am so hungry, I could eat a whole cow! Now, are you gonna check and see if our dinner is ready?

"Would I get in the way of a pregnant woman and her food? Do I look like I wanna die?" Koga laughed as he quickly backed away from the pair of women. He quickly excused himself from the room, a smile on his lips as he closed the door behind him.

Ayame and Rin suddenly burst out laughing, garnering weird looks from both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru merely snorted and turned to the open bar which had been laid out, thankfully. He made himself a drink and leaned against the nearby bookcase. Roaming eyes cased the large room, and finally rested upon the form of his wife.

"Think they're talking about us?" Inuyasha casually asked his brother who was swirling a short glass of brandy in his hand.

Sesshomaru managed to tear his gaze away from Rin for a instant, glanced once at Inuyasha, once at the glass in his hand, and then turned back to have the figure of Rin fill his eyes. "They're always talking about us…but it's never about anything we want to hear."

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"Dinner's ready!" Koga yelled out as he threw open the doors of the den. "Everyone hungry?"

"You better believe it, buster!" Ayame cracked at her husband as she quickly passed him, pulling Rin along with her into the corridor.

Inuyasha nearly leapt from his seat at the mention of food and was quick to follow on the heels of Ayame and Rin. Sesshomaru rolled his eyes in disdain and started to slowly follow after them, stopping once to refill his glass of brandy. He chugged it within a second, replacing the glass on the table with a sigh.

Reluctantly he followed after them, his eyes glaring at the back of Koga, whom was in a striding run to keep up with his wife. Sesshomaru knew where the dining room was at and didn't need a chaperone, well most of the time he didn't.

His gold eyes wandered over the painting hanging on the walls as he slowly plodded along. He noticed paintings of Koga's parents, done when they were the same age as Koga was now, which should have been around 200 years if he could remember correctly. He passed by another painting and merely glanced at it out of curiosity. The image stopped him cold in his tracks. It was the young image of his own mother, something that he thought he'd forgotten altogether. Her violet hair showering upon her shoulders, pale skin lit up by the colors of flowers surrounding her. No, this wasn't the time or place to reminisce about her, Sesshomaru thought as he shook his head. Pulling his mind away from the deviation, Sesshomaru headed on toward the dining room where he could hear a loud commotion happening.

Suddenly he noticed a lingering scent upon the air, someone that he had least expected to be here, but now realized what the whole reason for this night had been. In a rage, he nearly flew to the huge white doors, throwing them open without abandon. There sat the offending scent at the dinner table, the woman known as Kagome. Inuyasha was standing protectively beside her, claws and fangs bared at his brother.

"What in the hell is she doing here!" Sesshomaru roared out, pointing a clawed finger toward the young miko. "I told you that you were not to see her again!"

His eyes glowed anew, golden sparks nearly flying from his killing glare. His fingers flexed involuntarily, his body reacting to the sudden change in mood.

Koga and Ayame nodded at each other, both agreeing it was time for part B of their plan to be put into action. The intervention. Without another second passing, each wolf grabbed an arm of the demon lord and forcibly pulled him out of the room.

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"What right do you have going against my word! My own God-Damned Word! I said that he couldn't marry that miko, nor even see her again! And yet, what do I see here? Deceit! She has no right to even see him!"

Sesshomaru blood was boiling like lava by this point. He glared back at the pair of wolves before him, both blocking the den's doorway which led to where the offending person was.

Koga sighed and crossed his arms. "Look, Sess. I know that you declared Inuyasha couldn't see Kagome anymore. Hell, everyone knew after that day! But you are being an ass about the whole thing!"

"Me? Being an ass? You've got guts saying that to my face, especially at this moment, wolf." Sesshomaru challenged Koga.

"Then shut the hell up!" Growled back the voice of Ayame, as she stomped toward Sesshomaru. Her emerald eyes blazed with anger that even matched Sesshomaru's. She jabbed a finger into his chest and started to advance further against him, causing the dog demon to back up automatically. "For once in your life, shut up and listen! All you ever do is complain and whine about your life. Too bad! You still have a lot to learn about being Lord and listening is one of them! Now sit!" She commanded him.

Sesshomaru reacted without a thought, his body unconsciously buckling his knees and sinking into the plush chair he had been backed into.

Ayame turned on a heel and paced a few times before Sesshomaru, yet her glaring eyes kept him from speaking up once again. Finally she stopped and crossed her arms across her rotund belly. "Inuyasha has a right to marry who he wants, whenever he wants."

Sesshomaru started to answer back. "No, I make the-"

"I said shut-up, Sesshomaru!" Ayame glared at him. "You can speak when I let you! Now think about what you are doing to your brother. No, he is your brother, even if you only share the same father! Do not make me start on that! He loves this girl, we can all see it, yet you try to put up this charade that because he is a hanyo and she is a miko that your family name will be ruined? HA! Your actions were what brought shame upon your family!

Now look at yourself! Look at what you have become over these years! You've dried up and become a prune of the demon you used to be!" Ayame paused, yet glared at Sesshomaru to show that she wasn't done yet. "But now, I see that you have softened. Your eyes are warmer and life has filled your face again. You've changed within this last month. And why is this? Because you married Rin! She has helped to change you for the best! You used to be the most hating demon around when it came to humans and women for that matter. But now you have a mate and life that now revolves around her. Can't you see that is all that Inuyasha wants?"

Sesshomaru stared at Ayame, unsure if she was waiting for an answer or just pausing.

He cleared his throat, standing up to make his defense. "What I did is what I needed to do. I married Rin because I needed a wife at the time. That's all! And that brother of mine had better realize that I made that decision and it's final!

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It was quiet in the dining room as the three sat, listening to the reverberating words coming from the den. The words between Ayame and Sesshomaru had gotten heated, even with Koga interjecting a few words now and then.

Rin reminded herself to never anger Ayame. She was just about as bad as Sesshomaru himself. She paced in front of the doors, unsure of what to do. What was her position in all of this? Just a bystander? She glanced once over at Inuyasha and Kagome, who sat together on a sofa. She watched as Inuyasha hugged Kagome tightly to him and stroked her hair. With a sigh she turned away, wishing she could have a relationship like that with Sesshomaru. But how could she expect him to change like that? What would it take?

An erupting shout echoed through the house, causing Rin to stare curiously at the doors. Her curiosity getting the better of her, Rin gripped a door handle and softly opened the door into the corridor. Suddenly a bloodcurdling scream ripped through the house. Immediately Rin was running down the hall, heading for the den. A blur of silver hair ran straight by Rin and she knew it was Inuyasha having the same bad feeling about this as she did.

She arrived at the den, just as the doors burst open, unveiling a frazzled Koga. His eyes brightened as he saw Inuyasha standing before him. "Inuyasha, we have a situation and I need your help."

"What happened?"

Koga looked over his shoulder as a startled cry came from the den. He looked back at Rin and Inuyasha, "Ayame's gone into labor."

"She what!" Was the instant reply from both Rin and Inuyasha.

Without another word, Rin was inside the den, running to Ayame who was now sitting on the floor. Rin knelt beside her and took her hand. Already she could see the sweat starting to drip from her forehead. "Ayame, are you okay?"

"Oh sure, just fine. It's just that there is this coursing pain that goes through my body every few minutes. This kid wants out." Ayame said with a strangled laugh. Another wave of pain shot through her body and her hand clenched like a vice around Rin's. "It REALLY wants to come out." She said with panting breaths.

Koga ran over to Sesshomaru, who had been at the opposite side of the room, and pulled him out into the hall where Inuyasha still stood. "I need someone to go and get the midwife. Any volunteers?"

"I'll go." Inuyasha spoke up, his eyes glancing nervously at his intrepid brother.

"Good, Sesshomaru, you go with him and be quick." Koga said, flinching as Ayame let out another cry.

"Me! Why do I need to go! The brat said he'd go!"

"Because he doesn't know where she lives at, and you do!" Koga advanced on the demon lord to stare at him in the eye. "And plus, who was arguing with Ayame just before she went into labor?"

Sesshomaru stared back at the wolf, their eyes fighting a silent war. Suddenly Sesshomaru let out an angry breath, turning on a heel toward the front door. "Fine, I'll do it. Inuyasha, are you coming?" He yelled out while flinging the front door open.

"Yeah…I'm coming!" Inuyasha called out, looking once more at Koga before running out the door after his brother.

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The midwife arrived with Inuyasha and Sesshomaru ten minutes later. She was a squat old demon, her gray-green hair bundled into a large bun on the back of her head. A bumpy prominent nose held up a pair of bifocal glasses, which she adjusted every so often. She carried in her right hand a large cloth bag, bulging with its contents.

Koga waved to them from the top of the stairs as they stood in the hall. "We're up here!" he called out. A scream echoing from down the hall confirmed his words.

You never would have guessed it, but that little old woman was fast. She was up those stairs quicker before Sesshomaru and Inuyasha could even start moving. Koga did a double-take as she passed by him at the top of the stairs.

Inside the master bedroom, she found Ayame on the bed, with two human women at her side. She nodded at them and approached Ayame.

"My dear, looks like you're in a bit of trouble. Do you need Mama-Motoko's help?" She said with a smile, all the while surveying the problem within her mind.

"Oh gods." Ayame pried her eyes open to look at the old woman. "Thank goodness you're here. This kid really wants out!"

She braced herself as another convulsion shot through her.

"Well, you're lucky I'm here. It seems like your child is in a hurry to be born." Motoko patted Ayame's hand and then looked over the bed to Rin and Kagome. "I'm sorry girls, but you can't be here. This is strictly demon business now. No place for you."

"Are you sure?" Rin questioned while standing up from her kneeling spot beside Kagome.

"Yes, I'm sure. You've done enough to help her already. I thank you for helping out this far, but I work alone." Motoko smiled at the girls and quickly ushered them out to the door way.

Koga nearly walked into the old woman as he entered the bedroom, but Motoko stopped him with a hand to her body. "Koga, you can't come in."

"What? You don't understand, I need to be with Ayame." He tried to brush past her as Ayame cried out again.

But Motoko's hand stayed firm and held him back. "No, you don't seem to understand, Koga. You are not allowed in here. You know the rules just as well as I do."

"But.." Koga pleaded with the old midwife. "Ayame needs me!"

"You're not allowed! Now OUT!" Motoko ordered of the wolf demon. She sent him a glaring warning through her glasses, daring him to rebel. Koga somberly exited the room without another word, knowing too well the wrath that he could incur from the old woman.

"Do not worry, young master. Everything will be fine. I know how to do my job."

Koga nodded in agreement with her words looked over her head once more at Ayame before the doors closed shut with a heavy resonance.

Rin and Kagome looked at each other before approaching Koga. He stood staring at the bedroom doors, waiting as if the doors would suddenly spring open.

"Koga, you want to go downstairs with us?" Rin questioned him, lightly touching his arm.

"No" He shook his head. "I'm staying right here. If I can't be in there, I'll stay right beside her out here."

"Okay." Rin replied, shrugging her shoulders at Kagome. What else could they do?

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**3 Hours Later**

Looking through her glasses, the old midwife nodded in approval. Before her was a large bed with beige blankets and upon it sat Ayame, cradling her newborn close to her body.

"I think I shall let him in now. Your mate has been practically tearing at the door to come in."

Ayame beamed a smile back at the old woman. "Thank you, Mama-Motoko. You helped out so much."

"T'was nothing my dear. Just doing my job. Now, let's see what your mate thinks of his heir, hmmm?"

Ayame nodded, agreeing to her words. With a chuckle in her throat, Motoko turned to the door behind her and flexed her fingers at the knobs. This now dispelled the enchantment she had put upon the doors earlier. When dealing with a lord's mate and the birthing of her children, you took no chances.

And it seemed that the moment the enchantment was gone, the doors burst open to let flow the sight of a haggard Koga. His long black hair was no longer in its usual ponytail and had a disheveled look; he had probably been running his hands through it one too many times. He flew to the right bed side, not letting another moment pass by.

His mouth hung open as if he was going to speak, but nothing escaped his lips. His blue eyes were fixated on the bundles that Ayame cradled close to her chest. Ayame herself couldn't help but let out a slight giggle at the way he looked just now. Spurred awake with her laughter, he shook his head as if to rid himself of the cobwebs that had formed. Slowly sitting on the bed, he put an arm around Ayame's shoulders, glancing once into her shining green eyes before turning them back to the bundles she held.

"Wha….What do we have?" He questioned with a shaky voice, his left hand slowly moving toward what his eyes were locked on. But every time his hand came close, he hesitated and pulled back.

Ayame sighed at the way her mate was reacting with a smile. It showed the pride he held for their children, even so soon after birth. Ayame beamed with joy at him. "Koga, you will be happy to know that you now have a daughter and a son."

"You mean twins?" He said as his throat tightened with every syllable. Ayame nodded her head in agreement.

At that instant, Koga was reaching out to pull back the green blanket that covered the bundles that Ayame held. Instantly his eyes grew wide, then softening as he took in the features of his children. His daughter was blinking at the sudden intrusion of light to her new feature called eyes. His son on the other hand, soundly slept against his mother's bosom. Once his daughter's eyes settled, Koga's heart melted at the sight of her. She had her mother's eyes, green as a shining emerald. A few locks of downy ebony hair were matted against her head. His son, Koga could only guess that his eyes might be as shining blue as his were, but the matte of chocolate brown hair said enough for now.

Suddenly appearing from the forgotten shadows, Motoko approached the opposite side of the bed. "Now that you have met your children, you need to give them proper names. Do you have any chosen?"

Koga looked to the old woman once before looking back at Ayame. "Yeah, we do."

"Then what shall they be called?"

"Well," Ayame started, pouting a lip at the indecision. They had been at odds while choosing a girls name. She wanted Mitsuki and Koga had wanted Akina, "We hadn't really decided on a name for a girl yet-"

"Mitsuki." Koga interrupted, causing Ayame's mouth to drop open. He smiled back at her surprised face. "We'll call her Mitsuki."

"Yes…Mitsuki." Ayame softly said with a smile as she looked down at her child.

"And your son?"

"We had that planned long ago." Koga said with a chuckle. "We wanted to name our first son after my father, so…he shall be called Katsu."

"Very good choices." The midwife said with a smile to the new family. Nodding her head to the new family, she scooped up her bag and headed for the door.

"Motoko, do you need a ride home?" Koga called out as he realized that the old woman was leaving.

She shook her head, chuckling under her breath. "No, not from you, Koga. You have a new family to get to know. I will get a ride somehow. Do not worry about me."

Waving a hand at the pair, Motoko waddled out of the bedroom doorway.

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Downstairs, it was still a somber silence in the den. Sesshomaru stood at the window, another glass of brandy in his hand. Inuyasha sat with Kagome on the sofa, Rin in a chair opposite of them. No one knew really what to say. There was the undeniable fact that Sesshomaru and Ayame had been quite vividly arguing, which probably agitated her pregnancy to happen at that moment.

Rin stared at Sesshomaru, wishing that there was something that she could say to him. He must have felt pretty awful right then. Sesshomaru abruptly turned, his gaze now centered at the den's entrance. Following his gaze, Rin caught her breath as she saw the old midwife standing with a wide smile on her face. Inuyasha and Kagome noticed her as well, standing from their seat.

Rin burst from her seat over to Motoko. "Is everything alright? How is Ayame? And the baby?"

Motoko let out a laugh and waved a hand at Rin. "It's all right, my dear. Everything is fine. The children are doing well and so are the parents, though I could say something for Koga. Give them a few more minutes alone and then you can go up to see them. Now," She placed a hand on her hip, "Who's driving me home?"

Without a moment to consider it, Sesshomaru was advancing toward the door. "I'll do it." He said with a gruff voice.

"Thank you." Motoko said, watching him exit the house. Her eyes turned back to Rin. They narrowed behind her glasses and surveyed Rin slowly. "You're the Lord's new wife, aren't you?"

Rin nodded her head. "Yes, I'm Rin."

"As I thought. I must ask that you come and visit me in a few days. Its time that we gave you a thorough check-up." Motoko pulled from her sleeve a slip of paper and handed it to Rin. "Here's my address. I live on the top floor of that building. I'm available anytime."

Rin looked down at the scribblings on the slip. "A check-up? For what?"

"Well, you are a human, my dear. There are many things that we need to make sure that won't affect you if you are exposed to it. Demons have diseases just as well as you humans do. Remember, the top floor!"

Motoko turned away from the den, exiting through the front doors, following Sesshomaru's trail and leaving a flabbergasted Rin in her wake.

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As the taxi sped away, Rin looked down at the note that Motoko had given her three days ago. Her words had puzzled Rin to the brim of bursting, wondering what it was that Motoko wanted to do. It had to be like a regular doctor's visit, right?

The wind blew hard across her face, flinging her hair wildly in disarray. Rin ran for the tall blue building before her, hoping that this was the right place. Looking around, it seemed like a regular apartment house to Rin, with multiple doors on either side of the hall with gold lettering upon them. It was actually quite quaint.

Remembering the old woman's words, Rin looked up the flight of stairs, hoping that the top floor was not far. She already hated stairs from living at that mansion of theirs. Five minutes later, Rin just about dropped to her knees as she achieved her top floor destination. Gods, didn't these people ever hear of an elevator!

"Rin, I see you have come by as I requested!" Motoko called out in her tenor voice.

Rin's head snapped up in surprise to see the short woman standing before her at the stair doors, a wide smile on her face. "Yeah, I came like you wanted." Rin blushed, amazed that this old woman lived at such a place.

"Come now, Rin. We have a few things to go over." She waved a hand at Rin and walked into the hallway, with Rin following behind her into an apartment.

Sitting at a kitchen table, Motoko motioned for Rin to do the same. With a relieved sigh, Rin relaxed into the chair. Raising an arm, Motoko waved at a tray on the kitchen counter that held a tea pot and cups. Rin's eyes widened as the try itself began to float over to the table, landing perfectly before her.

"Have some tea, my dear. It'll help you get back some of your strength."

"Thanks." Rin said nervously, still staring in wonder at the tray. She nervously reached out and took a cup, pouring the tea as delicately as she could.

"My dear, I have something that I need to talk to you about." Motoko spoke out suddenly.

"I'll try to help as best I can. What do you need to know?" Rin sipped at her cup.

"How many times have you had sex with Sesshomaru?"

Rin nearly spit out the tea she had been drinking. "What!" She said with an unbelieving expression on her face.

Motoko leaned over the table, which was hard enough for her to do already. "You heard me. This is needed information. Now how many?"

Blushing the brightest red that her cheeks could muster, Rin looked guiltily at Motoko. "I….I guess about 4 or five times."

"And were you in any relationships before you married Sesshomaru?"

"No."

"So Sesshomaru was your first?"

"No." Rin put her hands to her face in the sheer embarrassment of the moment. "I only had sex one time before I married Sesshomaru and that was when I was 18. I never got into another relationship after that."

"Good." The old woman said with a smile, leaning back in her chair.

"Good? What's so good about that?"

"Well, I wanted to make sure that Sesshomaru is the father. An heir is an important thing to his family."

Rin sipped at her tea, the words Motoko spoke registering slowly. Then she noticed the one word she had spoken that Rin didn't understand. "Father? What do you mean, an heir?"

"Rin, you're pregnant with Sesshomaru's child."

"What? You can't possibly know that! Its only been a month since we got married!"

"Plenty of time for a pregnancy to start. And you said the truth yourself."

"But how can you tell! I don't see anything different!"

"I'm an old demon, my eyes can see more than what your eyes can see. Your body is becoming fuller, I can see it in your chest and hips. Even if your stomach has not expanded yet in this first month, it will be evident in a week or two."

"That can't be true!" Rin stood up from her seat. "I can't be pregnant! I never had any of the symptoms."

"I can give you a quick test for you to see if I'm telling the truth. Would you like that?" Motoko raised out of her seat and headed for a large cabinet.

"A pregnancy test?" Rin slowly sat down, still shaking her head in disbelief.

The old woman looked over her shoulder and smiled. "Yes, sort of, but it's my own version." She turned back to the cabinet and its contents. "I don't believe in those gadgets that you humans use. Now let's see…." Motoko busied herself with a bunch of bottles. "Mix Heron with Jorle, two bits of Promede and a touch of, oh where is that…. Oh there's that bugger. Add a touch of Geulen.:

Turning around in a flourish, Motoko waddled up to Rin and poured a powdery substance into her tea cup. It quickly dissolved into the light yellow liquid, leaving no trace that it was even added. "Okay, now drink your tea."

Rin looked to the cup and then to Motoko, suspicion rising in her eyes. "What's it gonna do?"

"Just drink it and you'll see." Rin still eyed the cup, warily. "Don't worry, it won't hurt you."

Looking once more at Motoko, Rin daintily took the cup from its place, stared at its contents for a moment and then quickly chugged the honey tea. Licking her lips, Rin looked around, waiting for something to happen. Nothing did.

"Well?" Motoko asked. "How do you feel?"

"Fine and that's was confuses me. Wasn't something supposed to happen?"

"Yes, but it only happens to those who aren't pregnant. That mixture I gave you would have made you sick to your stomach if you had not been pregnant."

"So I really am….pregnant?" Rin gulped as she forced herself to come to that realization.

"Yes Rin. That's what I've been saying all along. Now, we need to decide a few things for you and your little one." Motoko returned to her chair, fingers conjuring up a pad of paper and a pen. "I need to make out a list of things for you to buy as well before its born in five months. You don't have much time to spare."

Rin stared at the table, her mind frantic with the images of pregnancy in her mind. Motoko's words glazed by her, hardly hearing anything she was saying. Sesshomaru flashed before her eyes and then there was an image of Inuyasha. Rin remembered a word that Sesshomaru had said to her before. Hanyo. "Will my baby be a hanyo?" Rin lifted her head to look at Motoko forlornly.

Motoko's pen stopped scribbling on the paper and she lowered her glasses to stare at Rin. "You understand what that means, right? Then yes, your child will be a hanyo. Just like its father's brother, it will be half demon and half human. It doesn't mean anything to the health of the child, you know."

"Yes, I know that. I just remembered something that Sesshomaru said one time." Rin couldn't forget it now. The anger and hatred that she had seen in his eyes that night as they fought. Sesshomaru hated his brother for being a hanyo and now their child would be a hanyo. Did that mean he would also hate their child?

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Sesshomaru stared out the window of his office, still regretting the moment that he ad even walked into that wolfs house. After he had taken the midwife home, he almost considered going straight home, leaving Rin and Inuyasha there to get their own ride home. But the best of his conscience got to him and he turned back to the house. He waited patiently inside the limo, not bothering to go back inside the house. It just wasn't right. Ten minutes later, Rin came bounding through the limo door, followed by a happy but still angered Inuyasha. Rin was ecstatic about Ayame's newborn twins, telling him in explicit detail about each of them. He had been surprised to hear that she had twins, but the thought of how they came about was worse enough.

Now as he sat in the privacy of his own office, it was his own conscience that was attacking him. He also couldn't get it past his mind that Rin hadn't been sleeping as well. Ever since she had visited her mother the day after, she had been sleeping less and less. She would wake up in the middle of the night and then just begin to walk around the house. She had also been staying longer at the home with her mother as well. It used to be that she would spend an average of five hours at the home, but now, it was more like full days. She left at 7 in the morning and didn't return until after dark.

"Mr. Sadamoto? There's a call for you." Voiced Mrs. Hanako over the intercom.

Spinning his chair, Sesshomaru pushed the talk button, "Who is it?" He groaned.

"It's a Miss Yoshida."

Instantly, Sesshomaru was grabbing for the phone. "Sango? What's wrong?"

"Its Rin's mother…I'm afraid that…" Her throat tightened with her tensed emotions. "She might not have much more time."

"I understand. I'll be right over."

"Do you know where Rin is?"

"What?" Sesshomaru paused. "I thought she was there with you."

"No. She was here for a few hours and then said she had to leave on an errand. You don't know where she is either?" Sango asked, the desperation of the moment escalating her voice.

"No, but I'll find her. We'll be there." Sesshomaru growled deep in his throat as he hung up the phone. Rin, where in the hell were you!

He burst of his office, yelling at Mrs. Hanako that he wouldn't return. He made it back to the house in record time, yet didn't even wait for the scar to stop before stepping out.

"Rin! Are you here?" He called out into the empty house. No response. He sniffed the air, no, she hadn't been here recently. Where the hell could she have gone?

He ran up the stairs, figuring that he should at least change his clothes before heading over to her mothers. A suit did not fit well during such times, even he knew that. As he pulled a gray sweater over his head, Sesshomaru heard a familiar click from the front door. In seconds he was rushing out of the bedroom and down the stairs.   
"Rin!" He barked out to her. "Where in the hell have you been!"

He saw the smile on her face quickly vanish, but it didn't deter his wrath. "What could have been so important that you needed to leave without telling someone? How could you be so inconsiderate?"

Rin glared back at her husband. "I'll do what I please!" She stiffly walked past Sesshomaru. "What did you want anyway?"

"Rin, wait." Sesshomaru grabbed her arm, stopping her from passing him. There was the fact that he had to break the news to Rin about her mother. "There's something that happened."

"What?" Rin asked, her eyes searching his face. She was hearing him in a new light, as his voice had suddenly gotten softer and his eyes had grown warmer. "What happened?"

"Sango called earlier. She wants you to be there."

Rin's face went white as a sheet, her knees suddenly buckling underneath her. If it wasn't for the grip Sesshomaru had on her arm, she might have fainted to the floor, but there was his hand, pulling her close to him. The warmth of his body next to hers. It was all she could do to hold back the tears, but it helped so much that Sesshomaru was there.

Within minutes they were at the home, rushing to make it to her mother's room. Sango stood by the bead, holding her mother's right hand. Rin rushed to her mother, grabbing her left hand, and lifting it to her face. "Momma, I'm here." She said softly.

It was apparent she was conscious, but her breathing was labored and it seemed a matter of minutes before she took her last. Rin looked up at Sango, tears welling in both their eyes.

"There's nothing left we can do?"

"We've tried everything Rin, I'm afraid that there is nothing left we can do for her."

Rin nodded at her words and looked upon the sullen face of her mother, sniffling back the tears that she could not shed just yet. She looked over her shoulder at Sesshomaru, who stood stiffly at the doorway. He automatically took a step forward. The minutes slowly ticked by, the scene quiet save for the beeping of the machines hooked up to the dying woman and the labored breaths she tried to take. Rin was stroking her mother's hand, staring into her mother's eyes, even if she couldn't see her now. Sango stood from her seat and approached the bed as the beeping of the monitor began to slow.

"She's unconscious now, I think she's going" Sango spoke quietly.

"No! Momma, don't go!" Rin cried out. Bringing the fragile hand to her cheek, Rin entwined her fingers with her mothers. "Momma, I have to tell you! I'm going to have a baby. I just found out today. You're a grandmother! Momma?"

There was no response. But the sound on the monitor, a long continuous sound, told the truth of what happened. Sango reached over and turned off the machine. "I think she heard you Rin. It looked like she tried to smile just before…"

Rin nodded at Sango's words, hoping it to be true.

Sesshomaru stood stunned, Rin's words still registering in his mind. He couldn't have heard her wrong, could he? Was she really? Had he been so dense as not to notice it himself? Forcing himself to move, he approached Rin from behind, placing a hand on her shoulder and pulling her back from the bed. Rin resisted moving for a moment, not wanting to let go of that hand, but let out a sobered sigh, and gently placed her mother's hand back on the bed. She let Sesshomaru pull her away from the bed, let him wrap his arms around her at the edge of the bed as she stared blankly ahead. His warmth trapping her in a blanket that she never wanted to leave.

Leaning his head down, Sesshomaru spoke into Rin's ear. For the first time ever, Rin heard his voice nervously waiver. "Is it true? About the baby? Are you really going to have one?"

Relaxing her body against Sesshomaru, Rin took one of his hands and brought it to her stomach, covering it with her own hand. "Yes."

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OMG! That was the hardest chapter I have ever had to do.

I actually got it here on the 20th so don't attack me. Yes it was at midnight on the 20th, but it was still here! I am sorry, it would have been here earlier, but I had to re-write a few parts because they didn't fit well.

Oh and I need to clear up demon pregnancy with you.

Regular Demon – Ayame – Takes 4 -5 Months depending

Human mother with Hanyou Child – 6 months

So, it won't be long until Rin has her child. Also this is why Ayame's pregnancy advanced so quickly.

And the children's names, Katsu and Mitsuki! Yay! Thanks so much for everyone's suggestions. They were all great! Did it surprise you that she had twins?

I am still able to throw a stick in the mechanics of this story! HAHAHA

Hope that you enjoyed this chapter! There are only a few left to go. OMG!

**Sesshomaru's Woman ** I am happy to see that you are back! I was beginning to think that you had dropped off the end of the world! I have to ask – Are you going to Anime Detour in Minnesota this March? B/c I am and I'm trying to find others that are going as well so I can search for them in the crowds.


	16. The Crushing Weight On My Heart

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby acknowledge to all that stuff you have heard before and that you don't need to hear again since we all know it by heart. Takahashi-sama is the only one who can do that. All I own is this story idea.

This is an AU fic based off the plot of an old romance novel of my mom's.

**Cyancat** (\/)

A/N:

Sorry this is a bit late. I had a lot going on over here. Homework with my college work is the pits and takes up so much of my time. I never see daylight on weekends anymore because of it.

Oh well, I have you guys!

If you didn't see in the last chapter. Let me clear up Rin's pregnancy and the timing

Okies, I have my own ideas that demon pregnancy would be shorter than human. So I figure that they would be about half the time, so its 4 – 5 months, depending on the demon itself. That's why Ayame had grown so much over the time of 1 month.

Then for Rin, since she is human with a half demon baby, she still doesn't have the regular time of pregnancy like a regular human. So her pregnancy would take about 6 months. The first month is like the first 3 for us.

So I hope that clears up any questions.

**The Captive Bride**

**Chapter Fifteen - The Crushing Weight On My Heart**

The funeral was on a Thursday, just two days after her death. Rin didn't know how Sesshomaru had managed to do it all, but before she knew it, they were all standing at the family plot of the cemetery. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha stood to her left, clad in black and each with a look in their eyes that was a remembered sadness. Sango was there of course, dressed in a thin black dress all the while clinging to Miroku who stood solidly beside her. Koga had his hands in the pants pockets of his black suit, rocking back and forth on his heels. Because of the babies were still so young, Ayame had not been able to come, but she made it adamant that she would visit once she was able.

Rin gazed down at the headstone of her father, Hideki Nagawa. Maybe now her mother could finally see him again. It had been so long since his death, that Rin herself had troubles seeing him in her memory. He had died when she was only three, the victim of a hit and run. Rin never knew how to take death after that day. But now, it was all flooding back.

"Rin, do you want to go back?" Murmured the bass voice of her husband as he slipped a hand upon her shoulder.

Rin shook her head. "No, not yet. I still need some time with mother."

Sesshomaru merely nodded at her words and turned back toward the limo, glancing once at the crowd behind them to tell them it was time for them to leave.

Rin's ears perked as she listened to everyone's steps gradually get farther away and then the familiar thunk-thunk of car doors closing.

Rin knelt down, running a hand over the headstones. "Well, Mom, Dad, you're together again. Can't say that I'm happy about it, but now you both can finally rest easy."

Rin let out a heavy sigh and wiped away the tears forming in her eyes. "I don't know what I'm gonna do without you, Mother. I'm just so scared. Sesshomaru hasn't said a thing since I told him about the baby. Oh Mother, what if he doesn't want our baby? What if he hates it as much as he hates his brother? I couldn't stand to see that happen. But what I hate the most is that I….I think I really love Sesshomaru and that makes me hurt even more."

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Her reddened cheeks and puffy eyes were the first things that Sesshomaru noticed as he watched Rin silently slide into the limo seat across from him. She smiled weakly at Inuyasha beside her and straightened her skirt. Averting his gaze as Rin's eyes turned toward him, Sesshomaru scolded himself for not staying with her at the grave. But it was the memories of his own mother's death that made Sesshomaru keep his distance from Rin and he knew it. For the past three nights since Rin's mother died, he'd awoken in the dead of night from images of his mother haunting his dreams. She kept calling out to him, her arms wide open in an embrace, but all he could do was run away. He was no longer that child on that fateful day. He was a man in every right, the lord that he had strived to become since day one, a man that now was to become a father.

Amber eyes flashed to glace once at Rin and then down to her stomach before turning back to the car window. She was just beginning to show a bump with her first month of pregnancy gone by.

Yes, he was going to be a father alright. How had he missed it all these days, this whole month? He should've been able to tell within a week. But there was the fact that they had been separate for a while, that fight between them had lasted a good week or so. Then there was the fact that he had let his lust take over him a few times, irrational as it sounds. He just never thought it would turn to this.

"Sesshomaru?"

His eyes glanced once more at Rin, and then turned his whole body toward her. "What?"

"I just wanted to say 'Thank you' for all of this. These past days have all been a blur since Mother died and I don't think that I would have been strong enough to even arrange her funeral."

"Don't think much of it. I did what I had to." Sesshomaru let out a deep breath and turned back to the window.

"But you did so much just for me-"

"No, I didn't." Sesshomaru cut her off. "I did this since I told you that your mother would be taken care of. It was part of our agreement, right? Dealing with her funeral duties was just part of it. Not for you. It was just another dilemma I had to deal with."

Rin stared at Sesshomaru, his words stinging. "So what was I? Just another dilemma you had to deal with?"

"No, you were just…" Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. "Look, I did all of this because I knew that no one else was going to do it. I felt obligated to give your mother a decent funeral. Isn't that good enough?"

"No, it isn't. You treat giving my mother a funeral as if you were burying a pet in the backyard. That isn't how I want to remember my mother at her funeral!" Rin crossed her arms and glared angrily out the car window.

Sesshomaru groaned audibly and leaned back in his seat. With his left hand, he rubbed at his temples. Why did she always have to make such a big deal out of everything? Couldn't she just take it as it was?

Seemingly forgotten in the seat next to Rin, Inuyasha glanced under hooded eyes at his brother. Sesshomaru's personality had changed since that day Rin's mother died. He could see it. Sesshomaru wasn't yelling as much as he used to and he was actually resisting the urge to keep the fight going. Normally the words that Rin spoke to Sesshomaru would have sparked a new anger within him, but that didn't happen. For some reason, his older brother was more subdued and it made Inuyasha even more curious as to why this had happened.

When they arrived home, Rin was the first out of the limo, stomping into the house and slamming the door behind her. Both men flinched at the sound of the door crashing into its frame.

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For the rest of the day, Sesshomaru retreated to his den and tried to dive into the pile of paperwork that had been piling on his desk. But he couldn't keep his mind on the work before him, the words kept muddling into puddles.

Eyes darting toward the doorway, Sesshomaru let out a pained sigh. "What do you want?"

The form of Inuyasha stepped through the doorway, a laughing look on his face. "Like you don't know." Inuyasha paused and advanced to the desk, eyes meeting the cold gaze of his brother. "But….I'm here because of the way you're treating Rin."

Sesshomaru scoffed at his brother's words, a snort erupting from his nostrils. "What say do you have in the way that I treat my mate? Rin knew from the start that this is how our relationship was going to be."

"How can you be so cold to her?"

"Cold? You think that I'm cold? Did you even hear her today? She attacked me when all I did was state the truth!"

"Yeah and in doing so, you made her turn on you. It's like you want her to hate you….."Inuyasha trailed off, eyes widening in realization. "My god, you bastard. That's it, isn't it? You're making her hate you so that you won't have any feelings for her!"

Sesshomaru was instantly on his feet, hands slamming onto the desk top. "You damn hanyo! Do not insinuate things that you don't know! If you know what's good for you, you will keep that mouth of yours shut!"

"Fine, ignore her." Inuyasha glared at his brother audaciously, "But if you do anything right once, then give me what I want! Give me my marriage to Kagome!"

His anger escalating even higher, Sesshomaru swept a hand across the desk making his papers fly everywhere, "I knew that was all you cared about! That damned marriage to that miko!"

"And why do you think that I want it so much! I love Kagome with every fiber of my being! Unlike you, I want to marry her because I want to be with her! Not because it's something that is required of me!"

"I married Rin BECAUSE it was the only way to keep our father's lands, to keep his title of Lord within our family! Do not blame me for things that are not my choice!"

"Yet you chose to marry Rin and not some other woman. It was your choice and you know it!"

"Do not plaster such words on me! Every choice, every decision I did was for a reason! I do not make choices so frugally like you! Our lives were dependant upon my choices!"

"Yet do you even live a life of your own? This company, your title leads you around by the collar like a dog! You have no life to even speak of!"

"Shut up! You know nothing about this!" Sesshomaru glared at his brother once more while pointing a finger toward the door. He spoke through gritted teeth. "Now get out before I do something that I will regret. I don't want to see your face in here again!"

Dropping his eyes from his brother's murderous glare, Inuyasha slowly walked toward the door. As he exited the room, Inuyasha paused in the doorway. "All I know is that Rin's going to be the mother of your child, yet you can't even seem to look at her."

And then he was gone out the door, leaving Sesshomaru alone in the den. His anger slowly decreasing, his eyes traveled up as if to stare at Rin inside their bedroom.

'Rin, I just wish it was that easy.'

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Rin stared at the clock on her dresser table. 11:46 P.M. Maybe Sesshomaru wasn't coming to bed tonight. Gods, why did she have to react like that in the limo? Why did she have to act so selfishly?

Hiding her face in her hands, Rin could feel the tears start once more. Why? Why does everything have to be this way? Her mother dying was the driving stake of her pain, but what drove it further was the absence of a presence beside her. That presence known as Sesshomaru. Even if he didn't love her, he had to care for her in someway. She was carrying his child for Gods sake!

But it was all for naught. He wasn't going to change, not for anyone and especially not for her. Wiping her eyes with the hem of her robe, Rin stood feebly and stared at the floor length mirror before her. She rubbed a hand over the growing bump of her stomach.

"I wonder what your father will think of you. Will being a hanyo change his way of even looking at you?"

Shaking her head, Rin walked to the bed and lay down in her usual spot. Pulling the covers close, she stared at the bedroom doors, almost hoping to see Sesshomaru walk through them.

But by the time that Sesshomaru did walk through those doors, Rin was already fast asleep. Seeing her in bed, he let out a deep sigh, almost as if he was happy he didn't have to talk to her. He approached Rin's bedside and stared at her sleeping face, her breaths shallow and even. He couldn't deny that she was just as beautiful as that first day they had met, that fateful day at the company they were taking over. That oval face and her black waves of hair framing porcelain skin.

Gods, he just didn't understand what he was supposed to feel. His mind said one thing and his heart said another. And every time that he even looked at her, his heart started to win the fight.

He hurriedly drove away those thoughts and headed toward his closet, to change his clothes quickly into something he could sleep in. Emerging in just a pair of black slacks, he ran a hand through his sliver hair as he headed toward the bed. What was he going to do? Everything was changing from his original plan, becoming something altogether different. Sighing as he laid down, he turned his head to look at Rin beside him. And what was he to do about her?

Almost as if on cue, Rin chose that moment in her sleep to groggily turn over and seek out the body next to her. She stretched an arm across his naked torso and cuddled up against him, murmuring incoherent words in her sleep. Sesshomaru lay rigid for a moment, not knowing what to do. Was pushing her away an option, to keep his distance from the woman he had told himself not to get close to? His mind overpowered his heart at that moment and he was just about to push her away, but his ears suddenly caught the words that Rin softly murmured.

"No, no, don't leave me. Don't go!" Rin gasped into the air, a few salty tears escaping down her cheeks.

Sesshomaru groaned inwardly at himself. Even in sleep she cried. Relaxing his body, Sesshomaru draped an arm around her shoulders, holding her close to his body. And at that moment, almost as if he didn't realize it himself, the smallest of smiles emerged upon his lips as he stared at her face.

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A week passed. Nothing changed. Sesshomaru still kept her at arms length, not even ten words said between them in a full day. Another week flew by. Rin would wake up many mornings to the discomfort of how she was lying in bed. Her stomach had grown twice its size within the past fourteen days and she was not adjusting to the sudden changes very well. Then there were the cravings. Rin could not believe the things she was putting into her mouth. Cucumber slices with peanut butter? Candied apples slathered with honey? Simple bowls of ramen covered in ketchup? Was it the fact that her child was half demon or the fact that her nerves were so wracked every time she even thought about Sesshomaru that her body called out for these kinds of sustenance? Somehow they all had to be linked.

Rin stared out into the back gardens while she rolled a red strawberry sucker between her lips. She sat in the den, opposite of Sesshomaru's official office den. It was airy, filled with windows that opened up to the gardens behind them. It was the spot that Rin usually turned to when she needed a place to think. And now she was thinking about how everything was going to be. Was Sesshomaru going to act like this always, even after the baby was born? Would she be kept at arms length, something that he would occasionally glance at?

Rin sighed and put her head in her hands. She was getting too tired of this. Too tired of fighting with him and tired of dealing with all the stress that came with this marriage. The sound of the den's door closing shut brought Rin out of her trance. Glancing once at the door, she did a double take. Sesshomaru?

"Wha- What are you doing home so early?" Rin turned away from the window and smoothed out the folds on her skirt. "I thought you were at work."

"I needed to speak with you."

She gripped the skirts hem tight and her breath caught in her throat. "With me? About what?"

He let out a deep sigh. "Rin. Look at me please."

Slowly raising her head, Rin glanced cautiously at Sesshomaru. He was standing only a few feet away from her, his face a stoic emptiness that she couldn't read.

"Well, what is it?" She asked.

Another sigh escaped his lips. "I wanted to ask you…"

"Ask me…" She repeated.

"The baby. Why did you become pregnant? It was never part of our agreement and I never asked it of you."

Rin's eye widened in shock. "Me? Why do you think that it was my choice?"

"Well, its something that I never thought would even happen. I just figured that you might have thought on it."

Rin guffawed at his words, eyes narrowing in anger. "Me think about it? I never gave having a baby one single thought! I never expected to have your child. And what about you? Don't you think that this was your doing as well? It takes more than just me to make a baby!"

"I know, I know, but I would have thought that you would have tried to prevent it or get something from the midwife."

"So why is it my responsibility? You were the one who just had to mark me on our wedding night! You were the one who had the virility to romance me in your bed those many nights!"

Shaking his head, Sesshomaru sat down next to Rin on the couch, "Rin, I was just asking why you wanted to have the baby. Did you think that it was the only way to stay with me? So I would still care for you, no matter what?"

Rin felt her eyes watering, promptly standing up in her anger. "No matter what? How can you even say that! Don't you think that I might want this baby for the same reason that every other woman wants a baby! It wasn't because of you or our stupid agreement!"

Turning her back to him, Rin buried her head in her hands, not wanting him to see the tears she couldn't stop. Her body was shaking from the sobs that she was trying so hard to hide.

Sesshomaru shook his head and pinched at the bridge of his nose. "Rin, look, I'm sorry. I just wanted to be sure that what you were doing was what you wanted. Not for me or anything else." He slowly stood from the couch and approached her back. He reached out, as if to put a hand on her shoulder, but stopped in midair and let it drop to his side. "Rin, just let me-"

"Don't, don't even try it!" She yelled out between sobs.

Eyes lowering, Sesshomaru realized that she wasn't going to respond anymore. She wasn't going to listen to him. He hesitated behind her, wanting to somehow reassure her, but shook his head. Heading toward the door he stopped and turned toward her. "Koga and I are investigating a lead that we found out about Naraku, the demon that attacked you. We're leaving immediately, so if there is anything you need, ask me now."

Rin kept her back turned and fought back at her sobs. The only thing she needed, Rin realized, was something he could never give her. With her silence as his answer, Sesshomaru vanished through the door, his face locked back into an emotionless cold once more.

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Two days had passed since Sesshomaru had left with Koga and Rin almost felt relieved that he was gone. There was no more stress, no anxiety, or distressed words between them. But there was that loss she felt at night, the loss of his body next to hers, the warmth that emanated from him, even if he was a few feet away. Rin was beginning to realize that she missed him, even if she hated him for saying such cruel words that day. How could he not be happy about their child?

That afternoon, a knock at the door gave Rin a startled surprise as she walked through the corridor. But the biggest surprise was the person behind the door.

"Mr. Kitsune?"

The young man before her flinched at the name and smiled pleadingly at her. "Please ma'am, call me Shippo. Mr. Kitsune sounds so old." He stood before her in a dark blue suit, a green tie wrapped around his neck. A bushy red swatch of hair covered his head while blue eyes hid behind a pair of glasses.

"Excuse me, Shippo. Come in." She held the door open for him. She watched him with curious eyes as he entered. Closing the door, Rin spoke the words lingering on her mind. "But I am really confused as to why you are visiting. I thought that everything had been dealt with on my loan."

"Oh it's not your loan I'm here about, Rin. Is your husband here?" He looked around the house inquisitively.

"As a matter of fact, he's not. He's….gone out for a bit and I don't know when he's coming back."

"Oh, well that is a problem. I thought I could speak with him."

"What's it about? I might be able to help."

"Well, I guess it is right to give it to you. You see, your husband hired me to deal with the sale of your mother's house and the articles within after her death." Shippo lifted up the forgotten briefcase he held in his left hand and undid the clasps with his right. After rummaging for a moment, he pulled out a slim white envelope and handed it to Rin.

She stared at the envelope for a moment, looking up at Shippo skeptically. "What's this?"

"What you gained from the sale of the house and other items. Sesshomaru told me to bring the check by when it was all finished. I was hoping to have a word with him as well. But I guess it can't be helped."

Rin nodded in agreement as she curiously opened the envelope and pulled out the check. Her mouth fell open with a startled gasp and Rin quickly shoved the check back at Shippo. "This isn't right! You must be mistaken. That's…that's just too much!"

Shippo took the check and looked at the amount and shook his head in disagreement. "No, there's no mistake. That's the full amount." He took Rin's hand and placed the envelope in her hands, clasping them closed around it. "I think that you deserve this money what with everything that's happened."

"But its over ten thousand dollars! That can't be right! Our house wasn't worth that much." Rin pleaded.

"No, it wasn't." Shippo closed his briefcase and set it on the floor beside him. "You're right on that, but the buyers were good people and they made a more than reasonable bid. Along with that, we sold most of the furniture you had. You had quite a few antiques hiding in there."

"So…you're sure about this? It not embellished or anything?"

"No, hardly not! I make sure that my clients get everything they deserve." Bending down, Shippo picked up his briefcase and stepped toward the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a busy day at hand."

Looking down at the envelope in her hands and then up at Shippo's blue eyes, Rin felt a rush of relief wash over her. "Thank you, Shippo." She flashed him a wide smile, the first she had shown in weeks. "I appreciate it."

"I do what I can, ma'am. Have a good day." With a smile to the lady before him, Shippo quickly headed out the front door with the wind whipping through his ruffled red hair.

Looking once more at the envelope in her hands, Rin stared at the front door and bit her lip as she made a decision right then and there.

There was no time to delay. If she packed only the essentials, she could make it to the bank before it closed.

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Sesshomaru arrived home looking worn and beat, two weeks to the day that he had left Rin behind. The fight with Naraku had been long and tedious, but they had finally dealt with him. No longer would Naraku be able to attack his new family, for the dead could not walk this earth.

He slammed the front doors to his home wide open. "Rin!" he called out, wanting to tell her first hand on how they had defeated the malevolent demon. But nothing happened. An empty house echoed Rin's name over and over. "Rin?" He called out once more, his voice more questioning this time, as if not believing what was happening. Eyes studied the corridor for life and seeing none, he inquisitively sniffed the air. His eyes widened in shock as the lingering air told him the truth, Rin was gone.

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**Mwahahahah.**. Another Cliffie! Don't you just hate me now? But don't hate me for long, there is only one, yes, **1 chapter left!** What will happen? What will happen with the baby?

And then I can start on my newest Sess/Rin fic- I have a fantastic idea that came from watching the Oylmpics. I think that you all will like it.

To My readers:

**Can I Hug everyone of you? PLEASE! **

**I was in a state of shock after seeing the flow of reviews after the last chapter. You people are too nice! Way too good for me! **

**BTW – Is anyone going to Anime Detour or AnimeIowa this year?**

**So here are hugs to all my wonderful readers**

**Heka – **(I love such dedication from a fan like you, Thanks so much)

**Sesshomaru's Woman - **(I am praying for your safe return from Groundation. And yes, I got Motoko's name from you! Thank you!)

**Sable-fahndu – (**Name of the book is The Hostage Bride by Janet Dailey. Very old book.)

**MidEarthHighLanders – (**Cool! You're in Minnesota! Where are you located? And is there chance that you are going to Detour?)

**Jade – **(You live in Japan! -faints- I find that fascinating! I really would love to visit someday.)

**AttackingHentaiChibisLoveFluff **- ( I just love your username! It's so sparatic, just like me!)

**Angels Heart 1622, Honey.baby.sweetheart, Nicole, YukiS, Tacobell1, Contre, Kagome2004, Portia, Sorceress, Icygirl2 , Morgan, Jcnkitten, ITGU, Newbie GK, Simplyelena, True-miko15, RedQueen, Animegirl007, D.C. talk, Jenny19, Blueberry, Jasmine, Samantha, Kit, Hannah, Dawna Chan, Poodow, Mmoirai, Ayaan Haa-san, Adora Bell Dearheart, HawkAngel XD, Kanamy3000, Silentxangel, Sesshomaru's Bride, InuObsessed o.o, Evilducktape101, Pyrotic Bitch, Sarah, Redlightspin, Akasha, Sesshomaru's TrueLove, Crzyazngrl-in luv, Chranze, Darktemp, Jerseygrl246, Moonsiren06, Fluffyrachel, Maryo1, Vampirebaby13, Ally Inu, Retta, Purple Chocoholic, Baka Ri-Ri, SesshouYashia, Sakuya, Ellamr, Ladyrinremix, ForbinMaggiks, Sauncha, Sexy-Sama-San, Carrotsticks172, Babegalanime, Riyue, Cotton-angel, Fae and Yero, Sugarhigh16, Sessykity, SSRandomness, Ren, Seeya13, AznAnimeFanXP, Tankbbq, Iluvenis, Seentow, Seeyouto, Spirtually-lunar, Wendy, Fifth 50, Cammy Rammy, HaruHaru, -Incessant Embers-, IceErines, Ever Rin, RahneSinclairDaCosta, Branch of tree la, Doufan 69, Tai-for-you, BronzeToast, Fallen Seraphim Azarael, Sakuya Tsuki, The Dog Ears, Angaloth, LiLFrencHorn, KagSesslove, The Only Way Out, Dazma, Dark Side Of The Moon 32, Amunett, Devon Masterson-Bond, VAB, An innocent Reviewer, Sphinx, Sesslover101, West FullMoon, Mordrei, Inuyasha's-babygirl, Nike, GreenEyedGrimKitty, all the Anonymous' and………………anyone else I might have missed..**

**Thanks so much!**


	17. My Final Words

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby acknowledge to all that stuff you have heard before and that you don't need to hear again since we all know it by heart. Takahashi-sama is the only one who can do that. All I own is this story idea.

This is an AU fic based off the plot of an old romance novel of my mom's.

**Cyancat** (\/)

A/N:

Yes, I hate to say it, but this is the last chapter. I've come a long way with this story, with its ups and downs. And I think that I have grown immensely in my writing skills, just by having fun and writing a heartfelt story that so many people love. Yes, there will be an epilogue, don't worry. I couldn't leave you guys behind like that.

I am sorry that I was gone for so long as well. The plot bunny of doom had to smack me over the head to get me back to doing this. I came back from Anime Detour and I just couldn't think.

(BTW: If you were at Anime Detour, I was the YAOI GIRL, so if you saw me, shout out!)

I really apologize to you all!

Now a surprise for you, but you gotta promise not to look at it until after you read the story!

You Promise? Really?

Okay then.

I did a fan art of my own story, I don't know if that's a fan art, but I made it all the same.

It's an image that's been stuck in my head ever since I wrote Chapter 13. It's so warm and cute that I had to show it to all of you. You must go to my deviant art account to see it.

So… go and click on my username above "cyancat"

Wherin it will take you to my profile page.

Then just click on the link for my "website" I have changed its link so that it goes straight to the picture. Click on the image to see the full picture.

To all my readers, I dedicate this to you!

**The Captive Bride**

**Chapter Sixteen – My Final Words**

The subway shot down its path, the brakes screaming as they brought the hulking metal machine to a slow stop at the train station. With a groan the doors opened, releasing the flood of travelers onto the deck and on their way. Rin sidestepped the crowd and quickly entered the train, doors sliding shut behind her. Grabbing a restraint from above, Rin shifted with the train as it lurched with a jump to move on its way. The train was crowded as usual, but at least there was room to move now. The daily commute passengers were nearly gone by now, and only the usual occupants stayed. Rin looked anxiously for a seat, to ease the pain throbbing from heal to toe in her feet. But it was to no avail as it seemed that every seat had already been taken.

Shifting her weight from foot to foot, Rin stared out the window, watching the sun sink into the horizon, making a play of pink and orange across the sky.

"Ma'am, do you need a seat?" said a young voice behind her.

Turning, Rin brightened a smile upon her face to the young stranger before her. "Yes, I'd really appreciate it."

Moving to the offered seat, Rin watched as the young teen turned away with a nod of his head and headed down toward a group of teens at the end of the train car. Slowly lowering into the yellow fiberglass seat, a sigh of relief escaped Rin's lips. It felt so good to sit down, her body was just too tired for a day like this again. Relaxing as best she could, Rin draped a hand across her bulging stomach, letting her eyes flutter closed from her exhaustion. During her time away from the mansion, the months had flown by for Rin. She was now over the five month mark and her body clearly showed its progress. Rin was astounded to believe that she was only 5 months and two weeks pregnant, her body bulging at a size comparable to a normal woman with twins. Slowly opening her eyes, Rin gazed forlornly at the bulge of her stomach, slowly stroking a hand over its size. Thoughts of the mansion and the memories surrounding therein were suddenly flooding back before her eyes, along with the memories of her pain.

That fateful day, how much did she want to just run back to that glorious mansion, forget the idea of running away and stay with Sesshomaru? It had nearly taken over her two times as she rode down the streets in the back of a yellow taxi. Three times she'd broken down crying inside the train station, gaining odd looks from the passerby but Rin couldn't care less. It was hurting so much to leave. How was it possible that she could feel so much for him, yet only know him for not even two months time? Was it the fact that she'd grown so close to the way he'd look at her with those amber eyes? Maybe the strength of his arms and how wonderful it felt when he pulled her closer in bed? However the reason was, it tore at her heart, knowing that Sesshomaru would never be the man she hoped he'd be. A loving husband and now, a loving father? Never would he act that way, she knew he'd turn his back against her.

And their child? A hanyo child that he never expected to even have? He would never give him or her the time of day. If he would treat their child the same way that she saw him treat his own brother Inuyasha, Rin didn't want to see that ever come. That's why she had decided that moment, as she held the crumpled check in her hand, she had to leave Sesshomaru. For the best interests of her life and their baby's.

She headed as far north as she could, while staying on the mainland. When she finally stopped running, the train at its final stop, Rin found herself in the city of Hirosaki. It was just beginning in the season of the cherry blossoms blooming and the town was alive in celebration. Never had Rin thought to see such a beautiful sight. This is where she'd make a new life, a place that she could start anew, without the past chasing her down. Obtaining a job was not hard for Rin, especially when she had the merits of her previous work at Sagawa. She was easily hired by an accounting firm after the first interview, even when she mentioned that she was pregnant, they were more than generous to offer her the job. But the biggest problem was finding a home to live in. She was shown countless apartments, but every single one was not livable with a newborn. Some were too far from her newly acquired job and some were just too pricey. She needed a house, a real home to raise her child and it seemed, most likely, that Rin would never find it.

But luck seemed to be with Rin once again. Walking home to her hotel room after a long day at work, Rin passed by an ornamental garden full of trees and flowers. It had been a feature that Rin looked forward to see everyday on her way to and from work. The lights lit up the fauna perfectly at night and the day's brilliance, even with clouds hanging in the sky, brought out the best in this beautiful garden. Rin had just about passed by, but stopped as her foot tapped against a foreign object on the ground, nearly kicking it away and down into the street. Picking up the object, Rin was amazed to see in her hands a beaded necklace, like ones worn by the monks of Buddhist shrines. The beads of purple, green, and white were elegantly made and smooth to the touch, Rin realized, as she rubbed the object between her fingers. Someone had to of lost this precious item, it was too good to be lying on the ground, forgotten and abandoned. Hazel eyes turning toward the garden behind her, Rin paused only a moment before heading into the flowered haze. Cherry blossom trees blocked her way, causing Rin to fight against their branches until she came upon a small path in the grounds. Following her feet on the path, Rin headed down, looking, yet not knowing what she was looking for.

Rounding a bend and glancing by an overflowing rose bush, Rin stopped dead in her tracks, her breath literally taken away with the sight before her eyes. Located right next to a small incandescent pond, there stood a small house, not too big, but just right for a starting out mother like her. The house was surrounded by the cherry blossom trees, as if they were a magical barrier to hide the house away from prying eyes. Cautiously stepping forward, Rin couldn't help but be drawn to the unique feeling she was having, that this house was somehow, for her. And upon the door hung a large white sign, with the words 'For Rent' painted in big red letters.

But that couldn't be true. It wasn't possible that this house could be for rent, could it? Surely someone would have picked it up without hesitation the moment it was available. But when she called the number upon the sign, Rin's fears of the worst were extinguished with a broad smile. Now the house was hers to rent as long as she was able. How luck came to be on her side, Rin never knew.

Sighing in weary relief, Rin slipped off her shoes in the entryway of her home. Her feet stomped upon the wooden floor, announcing her position to anyone who might have listened. Passing by the small wooden table in the hallway, Rin noticed the blinking red light on her answering machine. With a shake of her head, Rin reached out and pressed the replay button. The voice that fluttered to life through the hall brought a smile to Rin's lips as she headed toward the kitchen.

"Hey, Rin. It's me, Sango. Just calling up to see how you're doing. I'm coming up tomorrow as planned, don't worry about that. I just hoped to catch you before I went on my shift at the hospital. I guess not. I still can't believe that you're having the baby soon! It's so exciting! It seems like it was just yesterday that you were marrying Sess….. Shit, sorry. I didn't mean to bring him up. I know you don't like talking about him….Look, I'll be there on the 3 o'clock train, so be sure to pick me up! I can't wait to see you Rin! See ya tomorrow."

Rin's smile turned to a wry smile of relief as the message faded away. Sango, she'd been the only person Rin had dared calling after arriving in Hirosaki. She had to swear Sango to a blood oath that she'd never reveal her whereabouts to anyone, nor that she'd even heard from her. And now she'd be here within a day, Rin mused, pursing lips together. It had been so long since she'd seen her friend. Sango was a person she'd bonded with all these years since her mother's illness began, and it was something that Rin wasn't willing to give up yet. And now with Sango coming, Rin felt better at the idea of having the baby at home. They both had decided against her going to any hospital, on the sheer knowledge that they had no idea what marks or odd features her hanyo child would carry.

With the smile still on her lips, Rin set to making herself dinner, working as best she could around her bulging stomach. Only thing she could do was wait for tomorrow to arrive, with all the hope that a better life would soon follow.

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The train station was bustling with life, people flowing from one train to another, the floods almost taking victims in their wake. Leaning against a handrail as her only defense against the massing seas, Rin looked anxiously toward the train platform and then the schedule board, impatient for the arrival of the 3 o'clock train.

Her gazed shifted impatiently to the arrivals notice board. It still displayed Tokyo Bullet Train - Arrival 3:00 – On Time. A glance at her watch said 2:55 PM. Gods, couldn't time move any faster! Another nervous glance at her watch pronounced the time of 2:56 PM. Damn it.

Suddenly to Rin's delight, a horn sounded above them, signaling the arrival of the next train. Her hazel eyes swept toward the arrival platform, anxious to see that familiar face once again. Rin didn't realize how homesick she was for a familiar face until this very moment. The train screamed into the station, tracks howling from the heavy mass making its way down until it finally came to rest. The doors sprung open and the flood proceeded to make its way onto the cement platform.

Rin's eyes searched the massive bobble of heads passing by her, hoping to catch a glimpse of that familiar ponytail. Back and forth, her eyes crossed over the crowds, eyes drifting over aged business men in their gray suits, over young teens giggling in groups, to young families pulling a tantrum throwing 3 yr old behind them. But there was no sign of Sango to be seen. Where was she?

Suddenly a pair of hands covered her eyes, engulfing her world in darkness.

"Guess who!" said a more than familiar voice.

"Sango!" Rin nearly screamed out, twisting around to grab her friend by the shoulders and hug her tight.

The pair began a multitude of screams and shrieks that gained looks from passerby, but it was unknown to the two women. They were lost in their reunion.

"Gods Sango! I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too Rin. Life isn't the same without you there." Sango's eyes traveled down toward Rin's stomach. "Look at you! You're about ready to pop!"

"Don't you think that I know that!" Rin joked. "I just want to get this kid out soon! I'm tired of feeling like a truck."

"Oh you're not a truck! You're beautiful!"

"So says you! You're not the one pregnant here."

Sango laughed at Rin's words, her eyes dancing in the moment. "Alright, if you say so. But the day that I'm pregnant you've gotta call me beautiful as well!"

"Deal." Rin laughed. "Hey lets get you out of here and back to my place. You're gonna love it!

Sango nodded excitedly with a wide smile. "Yes, let's get going! I'm dying to see this dream home of yours."

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The moment that Sango saw Rin's home, she was dumbfounded by how great it was. Sango even marveled at how much nicer the place was than her own home. For the next few days as she settled into the house with Rin, she couldn't but keep comparing the house and it's almost perfection to her rundown shabby apartment that she shared with one cat and one fiancé.

As usual, Sango made it fact that she was going to do all the hard work and errands from the moment that she arrived. She defiantly told Rin that the whole reason she was there was so that Rin could take it easy before the baby came. There was no sense in making her work hard in her condition.

"I'm going out for some supplies, Rin" Sango called out from the entryway one bright morning. "I've noticed you still need a few things. Do you want anything special?"

Rin stepped out from the kitchen, a towel in her hands. "Don't you want me to come along? I could help."

"No, I said it before; you need to take it easy! You're going to have that baby any day now. I can't have you walking all over town. You stay here. Cook, read, watch tv, whatever! Just don't leave this house! I'll even bring back some ice cream! I'll get your favorite, Mint Chocolate Chip! Okay?"

Rin rolled her eyes and nodded at Sango with a smile. "If ice cream is on the line, I'll do whatever you want Sango."

"Good. I won't be long!" Sango said with a wave of her hand while running out the door and slamming the door shut.

With a shake of her head at her energized friend, Rin turned back to the kitchen and to cleaning the rest of the breakfast dishes. Afterwards, it wasn't hard to keep herself busy. She started rearranging the books on her shelves, stacking them in accordance to height this time. She then started cleaning the living room furniture. A quick glance at the clock told her it was getting close to dinner. So she began to set up the table and started cooking a small meal for the pair of them, ready to eat as soon as Sango came back.

But like an involuntary twitch of a finger, Rin kept having this feeling that there was something amiss. Standing at the kitchen counter, cutting a carrot in small pieces, that involuntary twitch became something even bigger. It wasn't even until a few seconds after it happened, that Rin realized that her water had just broken. Suddenly a straight shot of pain ran through her body, the first contraction she'd ever felt and it was horrible! Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the kitchen counter, fighting against the pain until it subsided.

She sucked in deep breaths as the realization of the moment started flowing to her mind. She was going into labor now! Her mind raced, trying to figure out what to do, trying to remember what Sango had told her many times before.

Another flash of pain shot through her body and Rin wasn't able to stop a small moan from escaping through her gritted teeth. Again she gripped the kitchen counter with knuckles glowing white, steadying herself until the contraction ran out. If she could just make it to the couch, once she got there everything would be fine. Sango had to be coming back soon and then she'd be fine. Sango knew what to do, she knew about labor and everything else. All Rin had to do was just wait for Sango to return. She told herself that it wasn't as hard as it sounded, but her body had other ideas.

How long had it taken her to move from that spot? A minute? Ten minutes? A half hour? Rin didn't know how long she had stood at that counter, holding back against the torrent of contractions that paved their way through her body. It was painful enough to even think about it! Somehow she found herself just nearing the living room, the couch within a few steps distance when another pang shot through her body. This time it sent Rin to her knees as she let out a verbal cry of pain, closing her eyes to fight against the pain while clutching a hand to her rippling stomach. The sound of the front door slamming open was vibrant in Rin's ears. Thank god! Sango was back.

Feet were rushing down the hall and into the living room, pausing only a moment before rushing to her side. Warm hands gripped her shoulders and pulled Rin into an embrace against their body. Arms were circling around her and they pulled her tight against their chest. As the contraction subsided, Rin's eyes fluttered open to look at her savior. But what she saw, Rin couldn't believe, for what stared back at her was a pair of amber eyes framed by silver hair. Rin's eyes instantly widened with a sharp intake of breath. His eyes glanced around the room, surveying the house and then turned back to Rin in his arms. With a slight squeeze of his arms, he clutched her tighter against his chest. Standing up, he held Rin close and headed across the hall toward her bedroom. Kicking the door open with a swift boot to its hinges, Sesshomaru quickly set Rin on her bed before starting to search through her room.

Blinking her eyes over and over again, Rin couldn't believe that it was really him. He had to be a mirage or a dream of some kind. The labor pains were playing tricks on her mind. They had to be! He couldn't be here! He wouldn't do this!

After gathering her breath, Rin found her voice. "Sesshomaru, what…what are you doing here?"

Turning around, Sesshomaru hesitated before answering. "I'm here to bring you home."

Rin shook her head. "No, this is my home."

Sesshomaru crossed the room until he was at her bedside. "No, your home is with me at the mansion! You're my wife, you belong there with me."

"I don't belong there. You just need something there to be your pawn, your tool. I can't live that life anymore." Rin turned her face away from his demanding gaze, tears falling down her cheeks, "I could see that you never wanted me, you never even wanted this baby. I was just a thing in your possession."

"Rin…"

"No, don't even start. I left because I wanted a new life, away from all that pain and away from you. I wanted a better life for-," Rin bit her lip as she suddenly felt the next contraction pull through her body, her whole body cringing from the tremors.

Her hands clenched at the bed covers as Rin closed her eyes, doing her best to breathe through the pain, gasping in small pants.

Sesshomaru's eyes widened at her pain, unknowing at what he could be doing for her. Reaching out a hand, he paused briefly before covering Rin's wrought hand with his own. She jerked back at his touch, eyes opening to slits as she glared at him, the pain giving her a power fueled by anger.

"Get….Out!" She hissed through gritted teeth, sucking in breath after every word.

"No." Sesshomaru shook his head, reaching out to hold her hand once more. "I'm not leaving you."

Suddenly a pillow lashed out at Sesshomaru and smacked him clear across the face. He looked temporarily stunned at the hit, eyes blinking several times before turning back to Rin's angered face.

"I…Said….Get…Out!" Rin gritted once more, her eyes mere slits of anger as she tried to hold back her cries of pain. The contractions were becoming longer, a signal that Rin instinctively knew meant she was already close to having this child. She brandished the pillow at Sesshomaru with her right hand, showing him she was ready to smack him again. "Now…Get Out!"

"And I said, NO!" Sesshomaru quickly reached over and tore the pillow from her tight grasp, throwing it behind him. "I'm not leaving you like this!"

"Since…when…did…you…care!" Rin hissed at him again, taking her time to breathe through the pain and yet still speak her mind to this man beside her.

Sesshomaru stared back at Rin, his eyes narrowing as the two exchanged silent words between them. The rattling sound of the front door being closed rang through the hall. Both Rin and Sesshomaru turned their heads to stare at the bedroom door. A voice rang out through the hall that brought a relieved sigh to Rin's lips.

"Rin, why was the front door open? You know anyone could just walk in."

"Sango." Rin sighed with a heavy breath, the contraction now fading away.

Sesshomaru looked once to Rin's face and upon seeing the relief shining in her eyes, turned away. He stood, heading for the door, knowing that what they needed now was the woman out in the hall.

"Sesshomaru." Rin whispered as she watched him disappear behind her door. There was a clatter of objects falling to the floor in the kitchen and then a shriek turned muffled as if hands were suddenly clamped around the owner's mouth.

"Sesshomaru, what the hell are you doing here!...She What?"

Feet rumbled in the house, crossing the hall and throwing the door open to Rin's room. Sango surveyed the scene before her with eyes wide in amazement, then she was suddenly rushing to the bed.

"Dear gods, Rin, what happened?" Sango placed a hand on Rin's stomach, her eyes flitting back and forth from Rin's face to her stomach.

"Nothing, it just sort of happened." Rin smiled at her friend with a saddened shine in her eyes. "I'm sorry to make you worry."

Sango shook her head, "There's no sorrys about it. We both knew this was coming. Just a little earlier than I expected," Sango's eyes glanced once at the doorway where Sesshomaru stood quietly, "A lot more has happened than what I expected."

"But you," Sango flashed a warm smile at Rin, "You need to just lay back and relax. I have some things to get from the kitchen. Just remember to breathe evenly, okay?"

Rin nodded her head, understanding her directions. With a soothing rub on Rin's stomach, Sango stepped away from the bed and headed out of the room. Her eyes darted to meet Sesshomaru's frozen gaze as she passed by him in the doorway. They were livid with anger and they stated matter-of-factly that he was to follow her, no questions asked. He answered her with a shift of his feet, no longer leaning against the door frame. With a glance to Rin, Sesshomaru closed the door behind him as he headed after the demon hunter into the kitchen.

When he entered, Sango was throwing the grocery bags onto the kitchen counter, grumbling under her breath. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed as he watched Sango pace the room, grabbing towels from the bags she had carried in earlier and placing them in a pile at the edge of the counter. Sango cursed as she plopped a blanket down, turning her head to glare angrily at Sesshomaru. She was then suddenly advancing the few feet between them, waving a somewhat forgotten purple baby blanket in her hands, stopping only mere inches from his body.

"Why?" Sango said while trying to keep her voice low enough that Rin wouldn't hear, "What the hell are you doing here Sesshomaru!"

"I'm here to take back my mate! Got a problem with that?" Sesshomaru growled back.

"Yes I have a problem with that! Why didn't you do this earlier, 3 months ago! She was still your mate that whole time. You had plenty of time to show up between when she left and now."

His eyes drifted away from Sango's forced glare. "I-I had things to tend to."

"Pssh! Don't try to bullshit me Sesshomaru! You had plenty of time to find Rin. Why now!"

"It just didn't feel the same…" Sesshomaru trailed off, his eyes widening as he realized what he was saying to the woman before him. "W-Why the hell am I explaining this to you?"

"Because the person you should be explaining this to is currently in labor at the moment!" Sango pointed her finger toward Rin's room. "She needs more than just you showing up, especially now! Just how insensitive are you? Do you know how much more stress you've put on Rin just by coming here today? Please tell me what right you had to come here!"

"I didn't…I didn't know what else to do." Sesshomaru said with his voice sinking, his amber gaze lowering to the floor. "It wasn't home anymore… I had thought that it would be better for both of us to be apart. Neither of us wanted to be in that position anyway. But then the days kept flying by, without Rin there. And then I realized how long it had been, that Rin was going to have the baby soon. Even if she hated me, I had to get her back, no matter what."

Sango sighed and stepped back a foot, crossing her arms in the insight of his words. "Gods, you still don't see it." Walking back to the counter, Sango rumbled through a grocery bag before pulling out the various items she's bought earlier.

Sesshomaru's eyes shot to look at Sango. "See what?"

Sango paused, a baby bottle in hand. With a sigh, she put the bottle down and looked to Sesshomaru. "Rin loves you Sesshomaru. She has and always will. Why else do you believe she'd even think about having this child? Rin left because she was scared that you wouldn't care for the baby, scared that you'd hate it for being hanyo." Sango went back to unloading the bag.

"I never said that!"

"Exactly!" She waggled a bottle of oil at Sesshomaru. "You never said anything! When she was at the mansion, she'd call me and fret over the thought of you hating your child, never caring for it, never being a father to it. Maybe if you had said something about the baby, something better than 'why?', maybe she would have stayed."

"Rin…," Sesshomaru pinched the bridge of his nose, "She actually thought I'd hate the baby? Why didn't she say something to me?"

"Would you have listened?"

Sesshomaru failed to give an answer, yet stared blankly at the kitchen walls, his mind tripping over the realizations he had just overcome.

"S-S-SANGO!" Came a panicked cry from across the hall, causing Sesshomaru's head to instantly swivel toward the sound.

"Hold on! I'm coming!" Sango called back through the hall. Grabbing the necessary items off the counter, Sango looked to Sesshomaru. "Look, I think you know as much as I do that you have some feelings for Rin. Whether you realize what they are, that's your problem. And I have to say that unless I call for you, you're not allowed in her bedroom. Rin's going through a lot and she doesn't need the constant reminder of you in there with her. Understand?"

A slight nod of his head was all he fared to give, but it was enough to satisfy Sango, who suddenly took off down the hall, bolting to the bedroom door and slamming it closed behind her.

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It had been two hours since Sango had disappeared behind that brown bedroom door, appearing only a few times to get a fresh towel or more ice.

Sesshomaru sat in the living room, his eyes centered on the door and his ears focused on the happening inside. He could hear everything as clear as if they were next to him. Rin's cries, Sango's encouraging words, everything was so livid and loud, the intensity rising with every passing minute. Yet, it was the one moment that Sesshomaru felt the most helpless. He was the demon lord and yet he couldn't do a thing for his mate during a time like this.

Casting his eyes to the floor, Sesshomaru rested his head in his hands. Sango's words earlier were still stirring in his mind, echoing the truth of how Rin had really felt. Did Rin really love him? Could anyone love this demon lord? The man who forced her into an unwanted marriage, forced her into situations that she didn't need to be included, who brought unneeded danger upon her?

Had it all really started those few months ago? The affair of a young clerk and her new boss? But there had been more, right? That loan, that damned loan, causing him to distrust Rin over and over again. How many times had he made her cry because of that belief?

And once she'd vanished, Inuyasha began to get more voiced. He blamed Sesshomaru for her leaving, for not caring for her like a true mate would. And for once, he'd begun to believe it. Rin had to hate him, hate him so much that she couldn't stand to be near him again. For the past month, he had stayed in his den office, sitting in his leather chair by the fire, staring at the flickering flames, his mind lost in another dimension.

Sesshomaru leaned back in his chair, letting out a deep sigh. Gods, it had been hard these past months, hard to wake every morning without her next to him. Without smelling her intoxicating scent of sweet peaches. Without seeing her lovely eyes gaze out in wonder at the gardens surrounding the house. He had to admit, he even missed the angry glare she'd throw at him whenever they fought. Without even knowing it, Sesshomaru realized, Rin had grown on him.

Suddenly his ears perked, Sango's voice now had an urgency to its tone that made him listen.

"Let's go Rin, two more pushes! You're almost done!"

"Sango, I can't do it anymore… I'm too tired."

"Yes you can! You haven't done all this for nothing. Now 1, 2, 3, Push!"

Hearing the cry that emanated from Rin, Sesshomaru was instantly on his feet, staring intently at the door. It was taking all of his will power not to tear down that door and check on his mate. His eyes were wild, burning bright yellow amber, lit from the realization of what was happening. Again he heard the numbers spoken by Sango and right after was the strangling cry from Rin.

Sesshomaru clenched his fists, digging claws into his own palms, his whole body wavering from the force of her scream. Then there was the silence, the horrible silence that worried him to no end, causing Sesshomaru to take a step closer toward the door. But then the silence was cut by a squalling cry from a new voice.

His feet were moving of their own will, taking him straight to the door. He stopped instantly before the door, glaring into the dark wood, wanting to see what was beyond it. But he could not bring himself to even grasp the door handle. Something told him that he didn't deserve to enter that room.

It was hard for Sango not to notice the presence of the demon lord behind the bedroom door for the past two hours. He'd been standing there ever since the baby was born and hadn't moved since. She glanced once at the door before turning back to the child in her arms.

"What a hectic time you have come little one."  
Approaching the bed, Sango smiled down at Rin. "Do you want to hold her now?"

"You think I went through all that not to hold my baby?" Rin joked as she reached out her arms to cradle her child.

"I won't argue with you." Sango paused, her eyes flitting once more to the bedroom door.

Rin followed Sango's line of direction to the door and took a breath. "He's still here, isn't he?"

Sango nodded, sitting upon the bed. "He's been here the entire time. And now he's standing behind that door, just waiting to come in."

Rin looked at the baby and back to Sango. "Do you think I should let him come in?"

"It's not what I think, Rin. It's your choice whether you let Sesshomaru in or not."

"But…" Rin lowered her eyes. "I don't think I can face him…after everything that's happened."

"You won't know until you try." Sango reached out to run a hand over the baby's head. "Plus, what have you got to lose?"

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"Sesshomaru, you can come in now." Sango called out to door.

Without hesitation, the tall demon was instantly in the room, his eyes locked on Rin. Swallowing the growing lump of fear in her throat, Rin stared back the man who approached her.

"I think I'll leave you alone for a bit." Sango said as she backed toward the door. "You guys have a few things to deal with." With a last minute smile to Rin, Sango turned and exited the room, quickly closing the door behind her.

Glaring after the retreating Sango, Rin could only but turn her gaze to Sesshomaru who stood by her bed. They locked eyes for a moment, silently staring at each other. Neither knew what to say, nor how to start. The sudden wail from the baby brought them back to reality and both of their attentions were turned to her.

"Shhh." Rin crooned to her child, softly rocking back and forth and glanced once over at Sesshomaru, who silently watched them from the bedside.

Shifting his gaze from the child to Rin, Sesshomaru released a heavy sigh. "Come back with me." He said bluntly.

Rin's eyes widened in shock, her head snapping to look at the demon in surprise. "Come back? Why! So I can be a part of your charade? You still need me to dumbly play my role as wife so you can look like the great Lord you're supposed to be? I'm sorry but I can't do that anymore."

"You don't need to do anything!" Sesshomaru grumbled. "I don't care about that anymore! I just want you back at the mansion!"

"Then why? Why should I come back with you!"

Rushing up to the bed, Sesshomaru glared down at Rin, his eyes burning anew. "You want to know why! Because I can't stand that damn place without you!"

Rin blinked up at him in confusion. "What?"

"You heard me. I can't stand being in that mansion without you. When you left, I thought that everything would go back to the way that things used to be before I even met you. But things weren't the same."

Casting amber eyes to the ground, he took steps to circle the bedroom. Rin watched as he walked around her bed and headed toward a pair of terrace doors that Sango had opened earlier to let in the spring air. Sesshomaru stopped as if to look at a vase of lilies on a desk, feigning subtle interest.

"I tried telling myself that I was better off without you and you were better without me. Then I began to notice the silence, the utter silence of that place. Never have I felt its effects until then. I would sit in my study and days would just pass by. I couldn't think about anything else and before I knew it, I was half expecting to see you in the doorway."

He turned toward Rin, his eyes meeting hers in an unwavering stare. Rin involuntarily swallowed, moistening her dry throat.

"I missed your face, your eyes, the way that you talked about nonsense things." He paused as the words he wanted to say were foreign upon his tongue. "I'd wake up from my bouts of sleep and swear that you had been there beside me. I realized that I couldn't live my life alone anymore. And I realized that I was…. I was worried that you wouldn't want this one's child, even as a hanyo."

Rin could feel the tears beginning to well up in her eyes. Was he really saying these things to her? Now of all times? Forcing back her flood of emotions, Rin blinked back her tears and looked up at the demon who stood solemnly in her bedroom. "And what did you want of me?" She questioned.

Her hazel eyes followed him as he approached her bed, and sat down upon the bed like he had before.

"I want nothing of you."

Rin was taken aback in confusion. "You don't want me?"

"No, I NEED you, Rin. I can't live my life anymore without you there with me."

"And the baby?" Her eyes flashed down to the bundle in her arms, then back to his alabaster face. She forced back the smile that was shining beneath her expressionless exterior.

Tawny eyes fell to the form in her arms. Reaching out a hand he placed it over the baby's head. "I never thought that I'd have a child. The thought of children had never crossed my mind until that day you told me. I had thought it'd be troublesome to have one."

His eyes turned back up to Rin, the amber within reflecting warmth. "And I see now how lucky we are to have her. She is a part of both of us and that's what I am proud of."

The edges of Rin's mouth starting twitching, fighting against her measures to hold back her smile. Was everything for real? Had he really come back to her and said all those words to her?

Forcing back tears once again, Rin swallowed to clear her throat. "Then why. Why didn't you say any of these things to me before? You avoided me every chance you could."

"Because… I had yet to realize it all. As I sat alone in the mansion, I began to see that I was scared to death of you….because I loved you so much." Sesshomaru reached out to cup her face with a hand, "You could make me happy with just a glance of those wonderful eyes and torture me at the same time. I loved you so much that it almost cost me true happiness to realize it. And now that I have it," Sesshomaru suddenly pulled Rin close to his body, minding the child in her arms, "I'm never letting go of you."

Like a spring released from its captivity, Rin's tears cascaded a river down her face. She buried her face into his shoulder and clutched closer to his body. "Sesshomaru," She hiccupped through her tears, "I've missed you so much! Don't leave me alone again!"

"Never. I'm not letting you go again."

For what seemed like the shortest moment ever, Rin held tight onto Sesshomaru, her eyes releasing the flood of tears she held in for a long time. But the moment was cut by the small sounds coming from between them. They slowly pulled from each others arms and smiled at each other as Rin readjusted the baby in her arms. Sesshomaru's ears twitched at the babe as he stared at the bundle, his senses awhirl at the new being. His eyes traveled back to Rin's beaming face.

"Can…can I hold her?"

Eyes flitting back from Sesshomaru to the baby, Rin nodded slowly. She held out their child to Sesshomaru, who delicately took her into his own hands. Standing from the bed, he took a few steps away and stood in the light from the terrace doors. Holding up the child with his right hand while supporting her head with his left, Sesshomaru took in every detail about her.

The cloth wrapped around her head had slowly drooped down and now hung over Sesshomaru's hand. Now revealed to Sesshomaru's eyes were the apparent markings that made her the hanyo child of a dog demon. Buried amid hair the color of a dark blue night, with bangs hanging around her oval face, there sat two small ears perched upon the top of her head. They twitched every so often, taking notice to every new sound happening around her.

A small eye peeked open, exposing an amber gaze just like her father's. She stared at her father for a few moments, new eyes trying to evaluate this world around her. But slowly they closed once again, fluttering closed like the wings of a butterfly. A small smile drew upon his face, slowly growing until he had wide grin upon his lips. Then the sudden realization came over him. This was his daughter and he was her father. Somehow even though he already knew it, the fact that he was now holding her in his own hands, staring down at her in wonder, made his awareness kick into a higher gear.

Rin scooted across the bed, so that her legs dangled over the edge and watched Sesshomaru study their child. Suddenly before her eyes was everything that she had wanted, a man that she loved and the beginning of a new family with him. How was she deserving of all this? As if he knew what Rin was thinking, Sesshomaru turned to look over at Rin, a shine to his eyes she'd never seen before, but his smile did not fade. Slowly he brought his daughter back against his chest, cradling her close and stepped the few paces back to Rin. She stood and looked at the bundle in his arms before turning her gaze up to his.

"Did you have a name for her yet, Rin?" Sesshomaru questioned, his face bright and warm.

"I had one in mind…but you probably want to give her a family name or something."

"It's your decision, not mine. What did you want to call her?"

Rin let out a sigh. "I had hoped… to name her Hikaru… after my mother. But if you have something different-"

"Rin." He interrupted, an eyebrow raised in amusement. "It's fine. Hikaru it shall be."

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That night, Sesshomaru told Sango of his intentions of bringing Rin and Hikaru back to the mansion. Sango advised him with a powerful glare that he let Rin rest at least for a week before moving her around again. He could only agree.

So after a week of rest for Rin and Hikaru, Sesshomaru loaded up his new family into a limousine and off they headed for home once again in Tokyo. Along the way, nothing couldn't keep Sesshomaru from holding his young daughter as much as he could. Such a small thing was a wonder to his eyes. But the thing that amazed him was how much Hikaru reminded him of his own mother. Her hair, though dark night blue now, would most likely fade into a shade of lavender that would offset those golden eyes.

Upon reaching the mansion, Rin couldn't help but feel the tears start again, old feelings stirred up anew. But now they were tears that she could be happy with.

Greeting them back home was a small group of demons and humans. Koga and Ayame each held one twin, while they cried for the other parent, causing them to keep switching the children between them. Sango held tightly onto Miroku's hand, keeping him close. Inuyasha and Kagome stood before them all. Inuyasha looked at his brother firmly and greeted him with a handshake. Sesshomaru looked from him to Kagome and back again, and then returned the handshake, an approving look in his eyes. Rin was proud of her husband at that moment, more than ever before.

Hikaru was greeted to the home, words of her beauty mingled with the affectionate cuteness of her ears. Rin even made Inuyasha hold her at one moment, her heart warming at the sight of the pair together, as Inuyasha examined her ears with close scrutiny. Thus causing Hikaru to reach out and grab the closest thing, a lock of Inuyasha's long hair. The moment was funnier than they could have imagined, even garnering a smirk from Sesshomaru.

It seemed like the most perfect moment for their family. And Rin hoped that nothing would come between them again. Whatever the reason that they had come together, it didn't matter anymore. They had each other and that was all Rin cared about.

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O M G!  
That was so hard to do. Finish my most loved story ;;

And as I said before up above, I will be adding a little epilogue, and don't worry…. It won't take forever . blush

I love you all for sticking with me for so long….. I hated to finish my story because I began to love the chase so much.

Here is hope to the future and more fanfictions, eh?

Thank you all……

Lindsay M.

cyancat


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